The article has been written in the framework of scientific research project Language Modeling of the Image of Russia in the Ibero-American Media and deals with the reaction of the Ibero-American media to the key foreign-policy events of 2019-2020 and the analysis of language devices of discourse strategy of melioration of the Russian external policies. Topicality of the research question is conditioned by the fact that tactics and language manipulative devices which target the mainstream audience in Spanish-speaking political discourse have been poorly studied so far. The article uses comprehensive methodology which includes both linguistic analysis (semantic, contextual and stylistic) and methods of related sciences (CDA, linguopolitical, method of comparative historic assessment) aimed at defining a positive reaction to the Russian foreign policy. The study has been conducted through the lens of the argumentation theory widely used for the analysis of various discourse practices. Among lexical devices of the discourse strategy of melioration the most frequently used ones are self-explanatory headings, evaluative language, phraseological devices, modern coinages, precedent phenomena, which form a positive image of the country and its leader. Among positive goal-oriented substantiation of evaluations are Russia’s successful policies in the Middle East, selfless aid of Russia to Italy and other countries in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of language devices used in Spanish-speaking readers’ commentary to articles in the Ibero-American media, which interpret the Russian image in a negative way, mostly demonstrates the discourse strategy of melioration of the image of Russia and its leader.