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Glance at this week's headlines from Russia, and it's tempting to agree with Economist scribe Edward Lucas: It's beginning to look a lot like Cold War Lite. Polish magazine Wprost broke the news of recent war game in which Russia practiced nuking Poland. And Aleksandr Shlyakhturov, Russia's military intelligence chief, warned of a new war with Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Scary!
But never mind the alarming headlines. Russia is trying to create a kinder, gentler image.
According to the EU Observer, Russia has launched a PR campaign that is supposed to boost its reputation in Brussels, the European Union capital. According to the story -- which got more attention when the gossip sites picked it up this week -- a PR firm called RJI Companies has paired up with Russian news agency RIA-Novosti to oversee the campaign.
Step one? Rehabilitate Stalin.
A PR exec told EU Observer about an exchange with an RJI rep: "I asked him 'Do you want us to say that Stalin was not such a bad guy?' And he said 'Well, I know it will be difficult.' I said 'So, you want history to be rewritten?' And he said 'Yes, in a way'."
So, can we expect to see more stories about kindly, misunderstood Uncle Joe? Perhaps not. But expect the Russians to start paying for more fajitas.
[PHOTO: Nathan Hodge]
