Putin will have watched last Sunday’s demonstration on Dam Square with great satisfaction. For his disinformation campaigns, sabotage operations, and the fear of an escalation of the war in Ukraine that he has fueled are having an effect. Through his actions, he wants to sow division with the aim of destabilizing NATO countries and deterring them from rearming.
What the demonstrators wanted varied. They opposed Israel’s actions in Gaza and fascism, and expressed their anger about climate change and, above all, the war fever. We know this phenomenon from the Cold War. Back then too, demonstrations were driven by a multitude of grievances and political views. And back then too, that group was receptive to Soviet propaganda. That is why the Soviet leaders of the time recruited “useful idiots” in the West who could spread their propaganda. The Russians apparently have destabilization in their genes.
I was struck by how much the demonstrators are once again falling for Russian propaganda. De Andere Krant, for example, sees the attention being paid to those Russian actions as a coordinated propaganda campaign by the EU and NATO. The idea was also widespread that “we” are partly responsible for the war in Ukraine. Because “we” supposedly promised not to expand NATO. This narrative was refuted by Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, shortly before his death. Moreover, all those countries joined NATO and the EU voluntarily. They were happy to have escaped from under the Soviet yoke. If they had not joined, Russia would presumably now be trying to bring all of Eastern Europe, in addition to Ukraine, under its control. Seen in that light, NATO and the EU are ensuring peace.
On Dam Square, people demonstrated for more peace. Who could be against that? They do not want military spending to come at the expense of social services. But every society under threat will have to make a choice, unless the government debt is allowed to rise.
New culprits are being identified. Besides “us,” there is the arms industry. Just as during the Cold War, this new Military-Industrial Complex will, for the sake of profit, fuel wars.
But what is the alternative to rearmament? The New Peace Movement wrote a manifesto about it. We should focus on de-escalation and diplomacy. During the UN General Assembly, German Foreign Minister Wadephul precisely advocated that to his Russian counterpart Lavrov. Lavrov said he saw no need for it, arguing that the situation in Germany was beginning to resemble the 1930s, when the country was rearming. He turned the issue on its head. It was not Russia, but Germany that was the aggressor.
Other proposals in the manifesto include reducing defense spending, abolishing nuclear weapons, restricting arms exports, and not reintroducing conscription. In short, stop the militarization.
Everything the demonstrators now want happened from 1990 onward. The result was not everlasting peace, but a Russia that cannot accept the collapse of the Soviet Union, accuses the West of having taken advantage of it, and is now busy trying to reconquer the former Soviet sphere while issuing continuous threats against you and me. Wouldn’t those new “useful idiots” on Dam Square have been better off demonstrating against Putin?
Source: Trouw, Rob de Wijk, 1 October 2026
Experts
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