If you want to know the nation Russians despise most, start with the obvious: Ukraine — the “brotherly nation” of yesteryear, whose schools and hospitals must now be bombed in the name of “liberation.”

But not far behind is the U.S. According to the Levada Center, Russia’s last remaining independent pollster, three-quarters of Russians see the U.S. as the bad guy. Tehran draws eight times as much affection as Washington. And the love for China is nearly as overwhelming as the hatred for America.

Russia is not a country seeking a “reset” or compromise — it is conditioned to view us as an existential enemy. In the 1990s, when Russia flirted with democracy under Boris Yeltsin, 70 percent of the population thought America was a friend and 15 percent a foe. Under Putin, those numbers have flipped.

The Kremlin’s power rests on selling a lie to its population, that Russia is defending itself against a scheming West, with Europe portrayed as Washington’s vassal. In Putin’s telling, this isn’t a war with Ukraine but a war with NATO. How else could Moscow explain the pathetic performance of its own military? Three years after the full-scale invasion, Russia controls less of Ukraine than it did in 2022. And the harsh truth — which Moscow buries — is that Ukrainians are fighting alone.

No American or European troops have joined in. No NATO jets are intercepting Russian missiles the way American systems helped shield Israel from Iran’s barrage. Yes, the U.S., Europe and other allies have provided weapons and aid —........

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