The counter-hegemonic hegemon: A cross-platform analysis of a Kremlin-backed strategic narrative

This article examines how, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has adapted its digital diplomacy strategy to promote anti-Western narratives for global audiences. Drawing on data from Twitter, Facebook, and Telegram, we analyze the circulation and mutation of a “counter-hegemonic” narrative across distinct platform infrastructures. We focus on how motifs such as the “Golden Billion” condense geopolitical grievances into a flexible symbolic repertoire that aligns with broader critiques of liberal internationalism. Combining critical engagement metrics with discourse analysis, we show how these narratives gain traction not simply through content but through infrastructural attunement and affective resonance. We propose the concept of ambient parapolitics to capture how strategic narratives are embedded in the communicative logic of platforms—circulating less through persuasion than through participatory cues and symbolic compression. The article contributes to debates on platform governance, strategic narrative, and the infrastructures of geopolitical influence.