U.S. Designated Terrorist Group Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) Praises Chinese Leadership's Firm Stance In Claiming Taiwan As Part Of China, Hopes For Similar Stance From Russia Regarding Ukraine

The ultranationalist Russian Imperial Movement, designated a terrorist group by the United States and Canada, criticizes what it calls the "anti-Russian"[1] policies of the Kremlin as the conflict in Ukraine becomes more protracted. The white supremacist group praises China's leadership stance on Taiwan, hinting that non-ethnic Russians rule the Russian Federation.

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The RIM has been a longtime critic of Moscow's policies, both foreign and domestic.[2] However, the group supported and participated in the Russian campaign in Ukraine: In 2014, the RIM sent paramilitary volunteers to the war in Donbass; in 2022, RIM again joined the hostilities against Ukraine (albeit with less enthusiasm). The poor results of the current military campaign intensified RIM's criticism. The movement blatantly dubs the authorities "anti-Russian," at times literally stressing the non-Russian ethnicity of some officials.

On January 16, 2024, RIM's Telegram channel published[3] a post condemning the Russian authorities, urging them to resign from office and surrender their power.

RIM is fiercely anti-Communist. For instance, a Telegram post[4] of June 7, 2023, reads: "Communism is Satanism!!! (...) Victory for the Russian army will be given only when it takes the position of [Christian] Orthodoxy, autocracy and true nationality. (...) If we manage to create our own Orthodox Counter-Revolutionary 'Guard Corps,'[5] – we will win the war and restore Russia."

Curiously, in a post of January 16, 2024, RIM contrasted Chinese authorities with Russian authorities in the context of another territorial conflict: Taiwan. The post quotes a statement by the Director of the PRC's Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, saying: "Taiwan is an indivisible part of our country and will not become a separate state, it will revert back to being part of China."[6] The text stresses that Russian officials are not able to issue a similar statement in relation to Ukraine. RIM declares: "Neither Putin, nor Lavrov (Kalantaryan), nor even [Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] Maria Zakharova…[7] will ever say something like that in relation to the Outskirts. And, therefore, these people must leave, give way to the [ethnic] Russians."

The post[8] calls for Russian authorities to state that "Ukraine is a separatist entity existing on the territory of Russia" and that" it is populated by Russian people, whom the separatists have actually turned into slaves and hostages." The post calls for a "Holy War against all Russophobes until victory!"

While RIM calls on Russian authorities be more like Chinese authorities, RIM is antagonistic to leftist ideology. In another post,[9] RIM accused Russian officials of sympathizing with leftist ideas: "The [Russian] civil war is not over. There can be no reconciliation with the Leftists. (...) The leftists always [bring] separatism, LGBT, abortion, family destruction and Satanism. (...) And yes...Putin, Mishustin, Nabiullina, Gref are leftists, so is Zelenskyy."[10]

These RIM ideas were further developed in the Movement's broadcast published on January 21 on the group's VKontakte channel.[11] During the livestream, the head of RIM, Stanislav Vorobyov and commander of RIM’s battle wing, its Imperial Legion Denis Gariev discussed parallels between the conflicts around Taiwan and Ukraine. Stanislav Vorobyov stated that, judging by the Kremlin's policy in Ukraine, it has no coherent foreign policy doctrine, in contrast to the People's Republic of China. The global community, according to the leaders of RIM, supports China's claim to Taiwan. Therefore, only a tougher stance in relation to NATO activities on Russia's borders on part of Moscow will bring the desired results in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

According to Stanislav Vorobyov, if Russia would formulate an unyielding foreign policy doctrine, this would have a detrimental effect on the NATO's plans, by "tilting public opinion in the West" towards Russia. In addition, according to RIM's head, efforts to improve Russia's image should be accompanied by financial assistance.

Screenshot from the RIM stream posted on the VKontakte social network. The leaders urge the Kremlin to draw similarities between Ukraine and Taiwan; Russia is fighting an internal civil war against separatists - theUkrainian Government - on Russia's territory, thus mirroring China’s stance toward the territory of Taiwan.

In addition, Denis Gariev urges Russia to fight not only for the "thoughts of the common Europeans," which are "clouded by [Western] propaganda," but also to introduce a corresponding domestic state ideology in Russia. "We are fighting for the Great Idea, for the United Church, United State, United People," Gariev proclaimed.[12]