It's difficult to comprehend the extent to which Russians, just like their Soviet predecessors, continue to be victimized by propaganda. When the Kremlin controls every TV broadcast, it can tell Russians that Europe loves them and hates America, and they will believe it. Thus, Kommersant was able to report that "24 percent of Russians think that they live in the European Union, according to a recent opinion poll. 28 percent found it difficult to answer this question while 48 percent know that Russia is not an EU member." Russians have no earthly idea how Europeans feel about Russian behavior in Chechnya or Russia's aggressive weaponization of energy. They live in a world of propaganda illusions.

This kind of ignorance brought the USSR to its knees, and it will do the same to Russia.