[The Typing Baker] Since When Has Europe Had a 'Russian Phobia'?

The common perspective of the United States and Western media on Russia's invasion of Ukraine is that it is a simple act of aggression initiated by Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator and warmonger, who seeks to revive the former glory of the Soviet Union.

Within the logic that Russia must bear all responsibility for causing the war, Putin is compared to Adolf Hitler, who started World War II, and is called "Putler." However, just as World War II involved a complex international situation that cannot be viewed in purely black-and-white terms, this war also involves various international interests that make it difficult to understand solely through the concept of good versus evil.

A book that challenges this Western-centric and simplistic black-and-white logic is titled Russophobia. Russophobia translates to "fear of Russia" in Korean.

The author, Guy Mettan, has been the representative of the Swiss-Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Chambers of Commerce since 2005 and is a Swiss columnist. He is known for publishing several books on ethnic issues, socio-political topics, and international relations.

Although the author is a Western journalist from Switzerland, he looks at Europe and international affairs from Russia's perspective, moving away from the generalized Western viewpoint. He points out that Russia becoming a source of fear in Europe is not only due to its own issues but also largely due to the Russophobia formed by stereotypes and double standards created by Western Europe toward Russia.

The term Russophobia is said to have been first coined by Napoleon. In 1812, right after his failed Russian campaign, he reportedly had pro-government newspapers in France publish articles to make Russophobia an issue. At that time, Napoleon propagated that "Europe is now inevitably at risk of becoming Russia's spoils." After the Russian army defeated Napoleon's forces and occupied various European countries, engaging in looting, Russophobia became a reality.

However, the author argues that the roots of Russophobia run even deeper. Since the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church of Western Europe and the Eastern Orthodox Church of Russia have been in opposition, and this conflict became more visible in modern times. The centuries-long accumulation of confrontation and misunderstanding has painted Russia as an empire of evil, which, according to the author, has severely limited Russia's diplomatic standing.

The author criticizes the fact that the standards Western countries use to criticize Russia are completely different from those they apply when similar issues occur within their own societies. For example, even if the same Islamic extremist terrorist attacks occur, terrorists in New York, London, or Paris are condemned as "heinous barbaric criminals," whereas similar incidents in Moscow are praised as "fighters for Islamic freedom."

While Russia's invasion of Ukraine is clearly condemnable, the author emphasizes the need for a balanced perspective to understand the causes of the war and to establish a peaceful future. This book is recommended for readers who want to understand the recent Ukraine crisis as well as the perspectives and detailed understanding of Russia within Europe, which have been overshadowed by Western-centric civilization history.

Russophobia: The International Politics of Hatred Against Russia and Western Hypocrisy | Guy Mettan | Translated by Kim Changjin and Kang Seonghee | Morning of Autumn | 27,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.