In the world of pro-Kremlin disinformation, the alleged “Russophobia” in the West is to blame for almost everything that goes wrong, whether it’s in Syria, the UK, the EU, Ukraine, or basically any place in the world, as we described in an earlier article. It now turns out that Western Russophobia can even be blamed for the fact that Putin is running for one more term as president…

“In the current situation of tough confrontation between Russia and the West, or rather the terrible Russophobia on the part of Europe and the United States, the sanctions that aren’t lifted and the persecution of our Olympic athletes, it seems to me that we need a strong politician who is feared and at the same time respected in the West,” Russian actor and theatre director Sergey Bezrukov told RIA Novosti in an interview, commenting on last week’s announcement that Vladimir Putin will run for one more term as president. Bezrukov’s statement was relayed by many Russian media, especially those with strong pro-Kremlin leanings, such as Tsargrad TV, which describes itself as “patriotic”. Tsargrad’s story was headlined: “Bezrukov: Putin’s decision to run for one more term is dictated by Russophobia in the EU and the US.”

Below is how Russian cartoonist Sergey Elkin sees President Putin’s announcement of his candidacy in the presidential elections in March, which, given he is elected, will be his fourth (published on Facebook by Khodorkovsky.com).