Igor Boțan compares Soviet and Russian methods of control

Expert Igor Boțan has drawn parallels between the Soviet Union's historical use of military force and propaganda to maintain influence and the current actions of the Russian Federation. Speaking during a public debate organized by the IPN Press Agency regarding the 70th anniversary of the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution, Boțan noted that Moscow has repeatedly used force to prevent states from leaving its sphere of influence.

Boțan highlighted historical instances where Soviet authorities suppressed protest movements to maintain communist regimes, specifically citing the 1953 uprising in East Berlin, the 1956 intervention in Hungary, and the 1968 events in Czechoslovakia. He argued that the Soviet Union utilized effective propaganda to spread ideology and ensure the Communist Party maintained a monopoly on political life, a tactic he suggests is reflected in Russia's current military intervention in Ukraine.