"We see that there is Russophobia in the United States, and we believe that this is, first of all, the result of intensifying internal political struggle," the Russian president said.
In an interview with Radio Sputnik, Russian political expert Sergei Sudakov commented on the phenomenon of Russophobia in Western countries.
"The fundamental question that now worries almost everyone is why the US demonstrates such a level of aggression, especially toward Russia; why anti-Russian sentiments are so strong; why the Russophobia virus spreads so quickly; and why the current US authorities can't stop this nonsense. Russophobia has become a 'disease,' and this disease primarily comes from the fact that there are conflicting groups within American society. There is a societal split which is now greater than ever before," Sudakov said.
The expert noted that the United States has created an "enemy image" of Russia and it will be extremely difficult to debunk it. However, such a Russophobic trend can't last forever, he argued.
"Now Donald Trump is between a hammer and an anvil, he has to use this 'enemy image,' which, however, was created not by him, but by the last administration. Now every American politician says that Russia needs to be punished, that Russia is an 'evil empire,' in order to score certain points among its electorate, but I believe that it won't last forever," the expert concluded.
The Russophobic trend has become especially evident in the Western fake news campaign that is designed to counter alleged Russian propaganda and concerns over Russia's potential interference into foreign elections. The issue traces back to the recent US presidential campaign, when Washington repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in the presidential election, and of alleged hacking attempts.
