USSR References Remain Core to Moscow’s Propaganda, Moldovan Security Adviser Warns
The Kremlin continues to lament the collapse of the Soviet Union and has aspirations to “rebuild the empire,” in part by reviving Soviet symbolism, according to Stanislav Secrieru, a presidential adviser on defense and national security. His comments followed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent public appearance at the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska, where he wore a sweater displaying the inscription “USSR.”
Secrieru described Lavrov’s gesture as provocative, stating that the “USSR” inscription is employed as a “scarecrow,” particularly for Moldovan citizens. “Russian propaganda is full of contradictions,” Secrieru said. He explained that on one hand, the Kremlin tries to convince Moldovans that joining the EU would be the same as joining a “new USSR,” where they would lose independence and have decisions dictated by a central authority. On the other hand, he argued that history shows the opposite: small states that joined the EU have strengthened their sovereignty and influence, while the EU itself has consistently emerged stronger and more united when faced with challenges.
According to Secrieru, Moscow views the USSR both as a “benchmark and an aspiration,” continuing to pursue the restoration of the empire. He added that the Kremlin laments the fall of the USSR, which it called “the greatest tragedy of the 20th century,” and blames the West for it.
Russian officials, Secrieru noted, dream and act to restore the empire through Soviet symbolism, while propaganda spreads nostalgia about the “greatness” of the totalitarian union—without mentioning the huge price paid by citizens: lives lost, repression, and poverty.
The presidential adviser stressed that these contradictions are not accidental but part of a calculated strategy designed to confuse, manipulate perceptions, and push societies like Moldova toward false nostalgia and failed models.
“This is the essence of Russian propaganda: tailored to the audience and context, contradictory, but always with the same goal—to push us mentally and politically back into a pale imitation of the USSR, led by a Russian elite trapped in the past,” Secrieru concluded.
On August 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Alaska for the U.S.-Russia summit wearing a sweater with the inscription “CCCP,” the Cyrillic acronym for the Soviet Union. The garment, produced by a Russian brand, quickly sold out following his appearance. The gesture was widely seen as provocative, particularly given Alaska’s historic ties with Russia, and drew strong international condemnation.
