It is not impossible that some of the reports of racism among treatments of refugees could be being created by Russia. Some undoubtedly will not. I could go on about how the current resentment of racism may be larger than racism actually is, and ask where is the reciprocal aid for European refugees from India and the Middle East, but that would be a huge argument in itself.
The website below has a number of articles some of which talk about long-term Russian misinformation and fanning of resentment against the West in the Balkans and East Europe.
I’m linking this particular article for this quote: “It’s important to understand that Moscow’s demands of the United States and NATO are in fact the strategic goals of Russian policy in Europe. Their aim is not to restore the Soviet Union, as some suggest. Rather, the idea is to reframe security in Europe—particularly in Europe’s east—as a contractual relationship between the two principal strategic actors in the region, Russia and the United States/NATO, thus turning the page on an era when it was the business of the United States alone. This is regarded as a vital national security interest. If Russia cannot achieve its goal by diplomatic means, it will need to resort to other tools and methods.”
carnegiemoscow.org/commentary/86222
I wonder too if Europe wants to join in this reframing of power players!