“Foot in the door” is a psychological technique that shows the pattern between a person first fulfilling a minor request, and then being forced to fulfill other, more burdensome requests. The use of this phenomenon for practical purposes is often called the “foot in the door” method, another name for it is the method of gradual amplification of requests.

The foot in the door technique shows a tendency where a person first agrees to give someone a small favor or help, but one step leads to the next, and they become involved in a case that is sometimes completely unnecessary to him. Sometimes such a “mini-service” requires much more time, energy, effort from a person and may even contradict their convictions (conscience, common sense, saving money). An interesting fact here is that a person would probably never agree to burdensome or contradictory requests if they had not fulfilled the first, seemingly completely insignificant. This phenomenon is used in marketing, trade, the service sector, management, internal political struggles, as well as in propaganda.

The psychological technique “foot in the door” requires compliance with the following rules:

• start with appeals, requests that, at first glance, do not oblige to anything, are not burdensome for the person involved in the interaction;

• create a favorable emotional background for people's interaction. Communication (even a single one) should evoke emotions in a person, form a tendency to repeat contact. The person involved must feel the participation on the part of the other person, the satisfaction from his or her insignificant act or the solemnity of the moment;

• it is important that the person involved in the interaction does not have the feeling that he or she is being pressured or forced to do something. In this case, the effect will be minimal, because a person is not inclined to consider actions performed under pressure as a manifestation of his or her own convictions.

The Russian state propaganda machine uses this tactic against large masses of people. As an example, we can mention the increase in the level of Russia's territorial claims to Ukraine since 2014. If at first the Russians allegedly demanded only the recognition of the illegally occupied Crimea, then further propaganda began a discourse on the recognition of the so-called DNR and LNR as independent republics (at first within the actual demarcation line of 2015, and then within the full borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions). In 2022, the demands of the Russians have become tougher: we are talking about the alleged full-fledged inclusion of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions into Russia, even though Russia has never controlled parts of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The Russians are also trading in the case of a possible extension of the grain deal. Their primary requirement was the launch and stable operation of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline passing through the territory of Ukraine. After it was damaged in the fighting, the requirement lost its meaning. So the Russian authorities and propaganda started talking about another demand, this time to Western countries: the connection to the SWIFT global payment system of Rossilhosbank, a financial institution through which international trade in Russian grain takes place.

In addition, the aggressor state uses this tactic in sports. Since at international tournaments in most sports the Russians are suspended due to the war unleashed by their government, they are trying to remove the suspension with the help of gradual concessions: first, they are speaking in a neutral status without a flag and an anthem with an obligation to sign a declaration condemning the war, and then the Russian propaganda machine begins to gradually oppose these restrictions, up to the complete restoration of the rights of athletes, noting that allegedly “sport is out of politics” and complaining about the worldwide “russophobia”.

Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread information that Western countries allegedly refused to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. Propaganda refers to the words of the lawyer Mykhailo Soldatenko, who allegedly wrote about this in a column for the Ukrainian Pravda publication. It is not true.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. In fact, Mykhailo Soldatenko did not claim that Western countries, in particular the G7, refuse to provide security guarantees. In his column, he noted that the very word “guarantees” is not mentioned in the declaration of the G-7 leaders after the NATO summit. Ukraine is currently negotiating with the US and the UK on a bilateral treaty on security guarantees.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit Western partners and sow discouragement among Ukrainians. Earlier, we talked about the message that Russian propagandists spread that international support for Ukraine is being reduced due to corruption.

Russian media and anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread information that the Verkhovna Rada allegedly registered a bill that prohibits teenagers from 16 to 18 years old from leaving Ukraine. It seems that Ukrainians resort to such laws due to the fact that adult men are running out in Ukraine. It is not true.

The fact-checkers of the Center for Strategic Communications drew attention to the case. On July 11, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered the “Draft Law on Amendments to the Civil Code of Ukraine on the Protection of the Rights of Children During Temporary Departure from Ukraine” No. 9480. It aims to protect the rights of children traveling abroad, and especially orphans and children deprived of parental care. The law does not talk about mobilization, but only about limiting the independent travel of children aged 16 and over abroad for unification with the rules of social services of the EU countries.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Ukrainian authorities and sow discouragement among Ukrainians and military personnel. Earlier, Detector Media talked about how Russian propaganda manipulates the issue of mobilization in Ukraine, in particular, deliberately exaggerating its scale.

In the Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric there are reports that the United States allegedly specifically transferred the main financial burden “in support of the anti-Russian war” in Ukraine to the countries of the European Union in order to impoverish them. They seem to be “ruining the EU, provoking record inflation there and worsening living standards”. It's fake.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. In fact, the financial military support for Ukraine from the United States is 43 billion dollars, and the EU countries - 20 billion euros. So, the US is providing a lot of help, and the pro-Kremlin media are manipulating information.

Russian propaganda systematically promotes narratives about a “starving Europe” and sanctions that harm Europe. Thus, they are trying to reduce the assistance of partners to Ukraine. Earlier, we talked about the message that the EU's GDP is allegedly declining to critically low levels, while Russia's is only increasing.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric disseminate information that the infectious disease leptospirosis is spreading among the military of the 103rd  separate territorial defense brigade. They refer to an article from the Public website, where they mention 4 people hospitalized in a Lviv hospital. It is not true.

The case was investigated by fact-checkers of the Center for Countering Disinformation. T. Aleksanian, head of the fourth diagnostic department of the infectious diseases hospital, stated that from July 31 to August 9, 4 people were hospitalized with a diagnosis of leptospirosis. However, the article does not report that the military from the 103rd brigade  were hospitalized.

Thus, the Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the brigade and sow panic among the Ukrainian military and reduce morale. Earlier, we refuted the fake that an outbreak of cholera was recorded in Odesa.

The Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric spread information that the weapons transferred by the Americans to Ukraine appear in the Mexican cartels. The United States allegedly fears that the Mexicans will begin to use weapons on the border against American security forces. This information is distributed with a link to an English-language site. It is not true.

The case was studied by the fact-checkers of the Center for Strategic Communications. On the site referred to by the propaganda, in the About Us section, they posted people whose photos are found on other dubious sites related to conspiracy theories and fakes. And the story about the cartels is based on an article from The New York Times, where Ukraine is not mentioned at all. There is also no evidence that the partners' weapons they provide to Ukraine have been seen in other countries.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Ukrainian authorities and spread the opinion that Ukrainians resell weapons of partners on the black market and they fall into the hands of criminals. Earlier we talked about the manipulation that Mexican drug cartels allegedly receive weapons provided to Ukraine.