Font-size:
A A A
Background:
White Black
Illustrations:
Show Hide
Archive
REPORT ABOUT THREATS

If you know of information that you think is related to national security threats – that there is a threat or there may be a threat – immediately inform the State Security Department (VSD) about it.

menu menu Contents
ENTRY
INTRODUCTION
FOREWORD
SUMMARY
RUSSIA
Russia allocates enormous resources to the war in Ukraine but still has the means to prepare itself for a protracted confrontation in the Baltic Sea region
Military industry becomes a driving force of the Russian economy
Russian nuclear capability in Belarus
Wagner crisis has pushed Russia towards Volunteer Corps as a new model of military service
Putin’s election as an aspiration for legitimisation, which impacts political agenda
Unexpected challenge of Wagner mutiny the regime managed to overcome
Ideology-driven Russia’s foreign policy fosters global instability
Protracted war makes Russian intelligence officials question the validity and legitimacy of their activities
BELARUS
Belarusian regime’s threat perception is the driving force behind the intense activity of intelligence services against Lithuania
Calm facade of Belarus conceals political repression
Lukashenka builds up Armed Forces in response to regional security situation
Russia allows Minsk to demonstrate its sovereignty on military-security issues but pursues its military policy in Belarus
CHINA
China intensifies intelligence activities against Lithuania from its territory
China collects information and conducts influence activities in foreign countries using the whole-of-society approach
Over the past decade, the CCP has been consistently developing the legislation
Artificial intelligence technologies as the means of China’s pursuit of global technological leadership
INFLUENCE ACTIVITIES AGAINST LITHUANIA
New malicious actors target important Lithuanian decisions in cyberspace
Aggressive information attacks seek to intimidate Lithuanian society
Russia seeks to circumvent restrictions on its propaganda tools
By spreading propaganda Russia seeks to undermine the will of Western societies to support Ukraine
New Russian history textbooks embody Russia’s strategic goals that threaten regional security
CRISIS REGIONS
After Azerbaijan took control of Nagorno-Karabakh without fighting, Russia lost an important tool for destabilising the region
Western Balkans: heightened tensions in Kosovo will require further efforts by the international community
As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, Iran’s malign activities threaten the region
Africa: coups, insecurity and declining Western influence in the Sahel
TERRORISM AND MIGRATION
Threat of Islamist terrorism in Europe is growing
Terrorist and extremist organisations use 3D printing and AI
Russian and Belarusian regimes exploit illegal migration facilitated by human smugglers
Human smugglers have taken over the organisation of migration via the Eastern Land Route
download Download PDF

You are:

Home

INFLUENCE ACTIVITIES AGAINST LITHUANIA

New Russian history textbooks embody Russia’s strategic goals that threaten regional security

New Russian history textbooks embody Russia’s strategic goals that threaten regional security

History textbooks are an important tool for implementing Russia’s history policy. They establish ideological foundations for the strategic goals of domestic and foreign policy. The new history textbooks published in 2023 for 10th and 11th graders present Russia’s strategic goals, which will shape the regional security environment in the long term and subsequently affect Lithuania’s national security interests.

History textbooks are an efficient tool for shaping historical memory in autocratic and anti-pluralistic Russia. The Russian government views young people as a vulnerable social group due to their lack of support for government decisions. In comparison to the older generation, Russian youth tend to follow independent information sources rather than state-controlled propaganda. According to the regime’s perspective, this trend could be mitigated by enhancing ideological education in schools, by using history textbooks as foundation for this indoctrination.

The new Russian history textbooks are much more politically oriented than their previous editions. Their aim is to instil loyalty to the regime’s policies and negative attitude towards the West among the youth.

The new history textbooks promote the cult of a strong leader to strengthen the Russian society’s obedience to the regime and portray the incumbent autocratic leaders in a positive light. They also justify the Russia’s war against Ukraine as a necessary defence against perceived threats. Furthermore, the textbooks present some South-East Ukrainian territories as part of Russia, implying a strategic goal to occupy these territories and cut off Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea.

The textbooks present Russia as a civilisation in conflict with the West, suggesting that Russia aims to establish a multipolar world order consisting of anti-Western civilisations, which would secure Russia’s exceptional rights in strategically significant regions. In the long term, the Russian government expects that the textbooks will shape society’s attitude towards a long-term confrontation with the West and justify numerous resources allocated for this purpose.

Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to the President of Russia and a proponent of a politicised view of history, presents the newly published Russian history textbooks AFP / Scanpix
Print print
By spreading propaganda Russia seeks to undermine the will of Western societies to support Ukraine CRISIS REGIONS
+
Cookie settings
Mandatory
Mandatory cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookie.
Functional
Functional cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. Functional cookies are currently unused.
Statistical
Statistic cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Statistical cookies are currently unused.
Allow all cookies Reject all