Sanctions policy against Russia in Western mass media

Abstract

Since in the paradigm of political realism the main priority for Russia is security,  the main reason for the conflict between Russia and the West, from Russia's point of view, was the transformation of Ukraine into a Western strategic bridgehead in the immediate vicinity, which began long before the “Crimean Spring”. All of Russia's attempts to avoid military conflict with Ukraine and NATO met a stubborn refusal to engage in a peace dialog and ended in the current provoked war.     The author uncovers the severity of the prevailing position of Western media and the potential of information techniques as a resource in the undeclared war of the US and EU countries against Russia. Sanctions policy is considered an unauthorized means of hybrid warfare. Emphasis is placed on the positions of mainstream journalism and the expert community in Western mass media in their coverage of the essence of Western sanctions and their consequences.