„Neo-Nazism” in V. Putin's Public Rhetoric: Dynamics of Meaningful Changes (2004 – early 2022)

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The article highlights the chronology of the use and dynamics of changes in the meaning of the narrative „neo-Nazism” in the rhetoric, speeches and articles of V. Putin from the time he assumed the position of President of the Russian Federation until the beginning of Russia's Total War against Ukraine (the so-called Special Military Operation). The combination of the definitions „Nazism” and „neo-Nazism” in the artificially created pseudo-historical and pseudo-political ideologeme of the revival of neo-Nazism in Ukraine as a legacy of Nazi collaborators during the Second World War in the modern Ukrainian socio-political environment and state authorities is singled out. Changes in the dynamics of V. Putin's use of the „neo-Nazism” narrative in relation to events in Ukraine were traced and analyzed, depending on the schedule of internal political levers in Kyiv (in particular, the influence of pro-Russian forces on state policy) or in accordance with the geopolitical tactics of the Russian Federation in implementing its strategy of mastering Ukraine and expansion on international arena. The transformation of the negative direction of the narrative „neo-Nazism” in V. Putin's personal rhetoric from accusations of the so-called nazification of certain segments of Ukrainian society to the state authorities of Ukraine has been revealed. It has been singled out that V. Putin purposefully tries to give the narrative of „neo-Nazism” a wider global political scope, redirecting it into discrediting and accusing not only Ukraine or the Baltic countries (in the context of the reproduction of the neo-empire of the USSR in the post-Soviet space), but also the countries of the West (members of the EU and NATO), which allegedly encourage the revival of Nazism and contribute to the strengthening of neo-Nazism in Ukraine at the state level. It is summarized that the propaganda ideology and narrative of „neo-Nazism” started by V. Putin in order to divert attention from the basic neo-fascist principles of his own dictatorial system in Russia, gradually became the core of his concept of a distorted image not only of Ukraine, but also of Western democracies in a visionary strategy of changing the levers of geopolitical influence on the Eurasian space and the destruction of the established world security system.