Left-wing activists’ selective criticism of Russia sparks debate over hypocrisy

According to university researcher Luke March, the left’s uneven scrutiny of Russia stems from a lingering admiration for anti-imperialist positions, especially among former communist or Trotskyist circles. He points out that the 2022 invasion of Ukraine prompted a split: some former Russia-sympathisers now denounce Moscow, while others persist in a narrative that frames Russia as a counter-weight to Western power. High-profile cases such as Alex Salmond’s weekly RT programme and Craig Murray’s state-funded trip to Russia highlight how anti-NATO and anti-imperial rhetoric can mask the regime’s record of war crimes in Chechnya, Georgia and Ukraine.

Critics like Andrew Foxall describe Western leftists and right-wingers as “useful idiots” for Moscow’s propaganda. The article also cites documented atrocities, from the destruction of Grozny to recent torture evidence in occupied Ukrainian towns, underscoring the moral inconsistency of supporting self-determination abroad while ignoring similar struggles under Russian aggression.