Kremlin officials continue to push the idea that Russia is in allegedly direct confrontation with the West. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on 28 July that this narrative is used to maintain domestic support for the war in Ukraine and “future Russian aggression against NATO.”

According to ISW, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Russian youth forum on 28 July that “Russia is fighting alone against the entire West… for the first time in history” and that the country “must rely on [itself].” He said Russia has “no allies on the battlefield,” unlike during past world wars.

The report pointed out that these claims ignore ongoing military and economic support from North Korea, Iran, and China.

Russia portrays itself as alone, while support from allies says otherwise

ISW noted that North Korea has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles, artillery shells, and personnel. It added that Iran’s Shahed drones have been used in repeated Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and that Iran’s help enabled Russia to produce its own versions. The report also stated that China helps Russia evade sanctions and provides critical components and microelectronics for its weapons.

Use of propaganda

Lavrov also claimed Russia had “no alternative” to launching its war of aggression, repeating demands that Ukraine must not join NATO, NATO must stop expanding, and that Russia’s claimed annexations of Ukrainian territory must be recognized.

“Putin is unlikely to make any concessions in his war aims unless he is forced to do so by significant Ukrainian battlefield victories, as any negotiated end to the war that does not achieve all of Putin’s objectives would call into question the success, and, potentially, wisdom of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine,” ISW concluded.

Russian Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has threatened the West with “preemptive strikes,” but added that Moscow has no intention to attack Europe, the Kremlin agency TASS reports. 

He has accused the West of waging “full-scale war against Russia,” claiming that NATO supplies Ukraine with satellite data and facilitates missile launches.

“The West has not only treachery in its blood but also a sick, outdated belief in its own superiority. Russia must act accordingly, and, if necessary, deliver preemptive strikes,” Medvedev says.

Despite this, he called information about a possible Russian attack on Europe “nonsense,” which is allegedly being deliberately spread.

Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Head Sergey Naryshkin accused NATO of escalating military activity near Russia’s borders. He warned that Poland and the Baltic states would be the first to suffer in a war between Moscow and the Alliance.

He claimed these countries were displaying particular aggressiveness. As an example, he cited Warsaw’s alleged plan to deploy around two million anti-tank mines along its borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast. 

Italy faces internal division over an upcoming performance by Russian conductor Valery Gergiev at a state-backed music festival, with critics arguing the event risks legitimizing Kremlin propaganda while supporters defend artistic freedom.

Now, Gergiev, who has maintained close ties to Vladimir Putin since the early 1990s, is scheduled to perform at the Un’Estate da Re festival at the Royal Palace of Caserta on 27 July, according to reports from The Guardian.

The performance marks his first European appearance since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

He was dismissed from several European concerts, festivals and theaters, including Milan’s La Scala, for refusing to condemn Putin’s actions. His last Italian performance was at La Scala on 23 February 2022, hours before the invasion began.

Italy, however, just broke a continent-wide boycott of pro-Kremlin artists.

How did this happen? Vincenzo De Luca, president of Italy’s Campania region, invited Gergiev personally. De Luca argues culture “must not be influenced by politics and political logic.”

Opposition to the concert has been led by Yulia Navalnaya, widow of deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in Russian prison. 

“How is it possible that in the summer of 2025, three years after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Valery Gergiev, Putin’s accomplice and a person included on the sanctions lists of several countries, was suddenly invited to Italy?” Yulia Navalnaya wrote in La Repubblica on 15 July.

The venue matters too. Gergiev will perform at the Royal Palace of Caserta—a UNESCO World Heritage site and former Bourbon palace. The festival bills his appearance as a summer season highlight.

Ruslan Shaveddinov, longtime Navalny aide, told The Guardian the performance “would serve to normalise Putin’s regime in the eyes of the civilised world.”

He argued that providing a platform for Kremlin figures at prestigious European festivals constitutes “a huge gift to Moscow.”

What’s Italy’s defense? Cultural Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano insists “art must remain free” while simultaneously warning the concert risks “sending the wrong message” amid current tensions.

The concert remains scheduled despite the controversy, with Italian authorities yet to announce any changes to the festival program.

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