Datasets:

winterForestStump

/

fake-news-detector-euvsdisinfo

like 0

21.03.2023

The West's Plan B in Ukraine is a Polish invasion of Western Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-wests-plan-b-in-ukraine-is-a-polish-invasion-of-western-ukraine

pl.sputniknews.com

Poland, Ukraine

Polish

The statement of the Polish Ambassador in Paris about the readiness of Warsaw to engage in a conflict with Russia sheds light on Western plans to pass a historical region of Western Galicia to Poland. The Polish Ambassador to France openly said what had been silenced for months. The West keeps denying Russian information about the introduction of Polish control over Western Ukraine - now these plans are not just talking. When the Poles talk about their possible engagement in the conflict, they think about Western Galicia.The Kyiv regime will have to pay a lot for the Polish weapons supplied to the Ukrainian Army. If the scenario of weakening Russia with the Ukrainian hands fails, the West will go to plan B. Poland intends to join the conflict by sending its troops to Ukraine, taking over its historical territories. If Poland invades Ukraine, this state will cease to exist, and it will be split into the Catholic West and the Orthodox East.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative challenging Ukraine’s statehood and presenting Poland as a state with imperial ambitions. Apart from smearing Poland, the aim is also to deflect attention away from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The recent statement of the Polish Ambassador in France was misinterpreted by the media – he did not speak about direct Polish involvement in military actions but the need “to do everything to help Ukraine to defend itself”.This disinformation message has adopted several different and sometimes contradictory forms, including allegations that Poland either wants to create a puppet proxy-state in Western Ukraine or annex these territories or that it is President Zelenskyy who wants to cede this land due to his “Polish origin”.Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries and it rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. Poland, as well as the EU and the US, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity.Read more about the Eastern policy of Poland here.See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland thinks that Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and South-Western Lithuania belongs to it, that Poland wants to dismember Ukraine and re-establish a Polish empire, that Ukraine is a Western colony belonging to Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Russia, that Poland will try to gain full military control in Ukrainian territories under the guise of protecting the Polish population from Russia or that Poland plans to establish control over its historical lands in Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood, Ukrainian disintegration, Imperialism/colonialism

21.03.2023

Secret society of paedophiles takes revenge on Putin with ICC warrant

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/secret-society-of-paedophiles-takes-revenge-on-putin-with-icc-warrant

politros.com,argumenti.ru,vz.ru

Ukraine, UK

Russian

The so-called International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin was issued at the initiative of a group of paedophiles from the British government. A strange warrant for the arrest of Putin because of the "kidnapping of children" was issued by ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan. He did this in exchange for the early release from prison of his brother, a paedophile and a member of the British Parliament, Imran Ahmad Khan. Karim Ahmad Khan may belong to the same "secret club" as his brother. With the help of an ICC warrant, a secret society of paedophiles takes revenge on Putin for Russia's policy of strengthening traditional family values, laws against LGBT propaganda and paedophilia. Now the protection of children from perverts is prosecuted in the West as a criminal offence. Can you imagine how many innocent children's souls would be ruined by moral freaks like this brother? But Russia does not allow this. There must have been a queue for these kids. According to the Ukraine's government data, by March 21 2023, 464 children died, 935 wounded, 389 are reported missing, 16 226 deported, 308 of previously abducted children returned to Ukraine.

Conspiracy narrative. Part of the larger false narrative on the moral decay in the West which pushed Putin to start the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. See other narratives aiming at justification of this non provoked aggression, such is Nazism and Western biological weapons in Ukraine.According to Ukrainian governmental data, by March 21 2023, 464 children have died, 935 were wounded, 389 are reported missing, 16 226 deported, 308 previously abducted children returned to Ukraine.The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova. "Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on 7 October 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. <>Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, born on 25 October 1984, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Lvova-Belova bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute)", -say the warrants.Russian authorities, namely children ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova openly report their "success" in transferring Ukrainian children from the occupied territories to Russia. In Russia, such children receive new identities, including false dates of birth. On May 30, 2022, Putin signed a decree on simplified admission to Russian citizenship of children from Ukraine.Dozens of facilities for deported children stretch from Russian-occupied Crimea on the Black Sea to Moscow, two facilities in Siberia, and then one as far east as Magadan. Over 78 percent of these facilities are engaged in some form of re-education of Ukrainian children, primarily from the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk. Some of those children are separated from their Ukrainian biological parents during the so-called "filtration" while leaving the war zone.The forced displacement of minors in Russia is part of Vladimir Putin's project "to erase the Ukrainian identity and nation", say a group of intellectuals and child psychiatrists, including Bernard Golse and the anthropologist Véronique Nahoum-Grappe. See also "denazification of Ukraine", advanced by Russia as a goal of the invasion."It is forbidden by international law for occupied powers to transfer civilians from the territory they live in to other territories. Children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention", - said the ICC President judge.Russian disinformation media are trying to reduce the institution of ICC, which exists under the auspices of the UN, in which 18 judges are involved, to individuals, not even judges or prosecutors themselves, but to a relative of the prosecutor general. See more about whataboutism. For context, see also the debunk of the false pro-Kremlin media narrative that the West encourages paedophilia. See more cases concerning the ICC arrest warrant here.

Western values, ICC, International Criminal Court, Invasion of Ukraine, Stealing children

21.03.2023

The US intends to use Georgia to inflame conflicts near Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-intends-to-use-georgia-to-inflame-conflicts-near-russia

bgr.news-front.info

Georgia, US, Russia

Bulgarian

Georgia is Washington's only outpost in the Caucasus and the US uses the country as a provocateur and instigator of conflicts on Russia's southern borders. The US is behind the recent mass protests in Georgia related to the Georgian government's intention to pass a law on foreign agents in the media.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about alleged ‘colour revolutions’, portraying popular protests in the former Soviet republics as Western-instigated coup d'état.The claim that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power is not supported by evidence. Georgia’s protests were driven by a strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media, and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association.Furthermore, following international and local criticism, including from the UN, US, EU and its member states, the draft law caused fears among Georgian citizens that it could impede their country's hopes for closer ties with the EU. As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” bill after the ruling party withdrew support.No evidence has been provided to support the claim that the US interferes in Georgia's domestic affairs, although it is a leitmotif of pro-Kremlin disinformation. Georgia is an independent and sovereign country with independently elected institutions such as its parliament and president. The latest elections in Georgia were free and fair according to independent international observers (see here and here).Georgia and the US have a strong partnership, with Georgia receiving 4,3 billion USD in financial aid from the US in the period 1992-2020 that that supported democratic and free-market principles in the country. The US supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements and activists as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that the West is interfering in Georgian protests or The US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia.

Coup, Sovereignty, Colour revolutions, Protest

21.03.2023

The EU is turning into an aggressive militarist bloc

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-is-turning-into-an-aggressive-militarist-bloc

tass.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU

Russian

The EU's massive deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility is a very official bid by Brussels to transform itself from a trade and economic integration alliance into a militarist bloc – and an aggressive rather than defensive one at that.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the EU, portraying it as a belligerent organisation.The EU does not sponsor war, but is continuously calling out Moscow's responsibility to stop Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.The European Peace Facility was launched in July 2021 and "finances activities with military implications, and supports the armies of partner countries and EU Member States with infrastructure, training and equipment." It is rooted in EU primary legislation, specifically Articles 30(1) and 41(2) of the Treaty on European Union.On 17 October 2022, the European Council adopted additional assistance measures under the European Peace Facility (EPF) to further support the capabilities and resilience of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. With this, the EU further stepped up its support to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and protect the civilian population against the ongoing Russian war of aggression.See further cases of disinformation on the EU here.

European Union, European army, Warmongering, War in Ukraine, War preparation

21.03.2023

ICC has no competence to issue warrants against citizens of the Russian Federation

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/icc-has-no-competence-to-issue-warrants-against-citizens-of-the-russian-federation

odysee.com,odysee.com,Sputnik on Twitter,reinfovf.com,Sputnik on Twitter

Russia, Ukraine

French

With regard to the arrest warrant issued on 17 March by the International Criminal Court (ICC), this partial, politised and incompetent international judicial procedure has once again proven its nullity. The ICC is a puppet in the hands of the West always ready to deliver pseudo-justice to order.The Russian Federation has not taken part in the Rome statute. The ICC has no jurisdiction over Russia and its citizens.Russia considers any document emanating from this body to be illegal and void.

Pro Kremlin narrative discrediting the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the context of its investigation into war crimes committed during the military invasion of Ukraine.On 17 March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.The ICC has jurisdiction to try individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression if:-the country where the offence was committed is a party to the Rome Statute or accepted the Court’s jurisdiction on an ad hoc basis with respect to a given situation by lodging a Declaration under article 12(3) of the Statute.; -or the perpetrator's country of origin is a party to the Rome Statute.On 16 November 2016, Putin signed a decree formally withdrawing Russia from the agreement on the ICC in the Hague. However, the crimes for which the two arrest warrants were issued were committed on Ukrainian territory. Ukraine accepted the Court's jurisdiction over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute occurring on its territory twice, pursuant to article 12(3) of the Statute. The first declaration lodged by the Government of Ukraine accepted ICC jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes committed on Ukrainian territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014. The second declaration extended this time period on an open-ended basis to encompass ongoing alleged crimes committed throughout the territory of Ukraine from 20 February 2014 onwards.The court's jurisdiction is clearly established.The ICC is an independent body whose mission is to try individuals for crimes within its jurisdiction without the need for a special mandate from the United Nations. On 4 October 2004, the ICC and the United Nations signed an agreement governing their institutional relationship. Within the Court, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) is itself an independent body.The accusations about the ICC or the OTP being puppets in the hands of the collective West is a conspiracy theory.Read also related cases such as: Russia does not recognise the International Criminal Court at The Hague, the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia is an absurd hoax, Russia hits only military targets in Ukraine.See more cases concerning the ICC arrest warrant here.

ICC, Invasion of Ukraine, war crimes, War in Ukraine, International Criminal Court, Stealing children, children, International Law

21.03.2023

The US started a war against Europe

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-started-a-war-against-europe

oroszhirek.hu

US, Europe, Norway, UK, China

Hungarian

For Europeans, the underwater bombing by US, Norwegian and British terrorists is the first shot in a full-scale US war against Europe. One of the main aims of the attack on Nord Stream was to reinforce the Old World's energy and economic dependence on US liquefied natural gas supplies and to win the market for nuclear technology. The US considers China to be a major competitor in this field, so the next targets could be Suez or the new Nicaraguan canal planned by Beijing.According to [Seymour Hersh], the sabotage was organised by the US with the help of NATO allies: last summer, during the Baltops exercise, US divers planted explosives on the pipelines, and three months later, the Norwegians detonated them.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The article cannot be considered an evidence of this: it is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog, so no editorial team was involved in its preparation.The central parts of its affirmations have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions).Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction.’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven.The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation.In 2022, European countries switched to LNG deliveries partly from the US as an alternative source of gas after the Russian decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe. After the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities completely destroyed European trust in Gazprom as a predictable and solid partner. Throughout 2022, Russia deliberately cut the gas supplies to the EU and used the gas supplies as a weapon of war. The EU took steps “to secure the EU’s energy supplies, such as a gas storage regulation, a gas demand reduction regulation, the creation of an EU energy platform and outreach initiatives for the diversification of supply sources.”See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream, that American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, or that sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years.

NATO, Nord Stream 2, Energy, Terrorism, US presence in Europe

21.03.2023

The West is not interested in peace

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-is-not-interested-in-peace

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine, US, UK, France, Germany

Hungarian

The United States, Britain, France and Germany cannot claim to be neutral mediators in the Ukraine peace process because they are involved in the conflict with Russia. These countries have already discredited themselves by supporting the unconstitutional coup in Kyiv and by sabotaging the Minsk agreements. They have no interest in resolving the crisis and are doing their utmost to prolong the confrontation.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the West is not interested in peace because it already supported the alleged coup in Kyiv in 2014 and helped sabotaged the Minsk agreements.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.As far as peace negotiations are concerned, the EU Council Conclusions of 09 February 2023 state unequivocally:"Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with its steadfast support for as long as it takes."The EU supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace, including:- President Zelenskyy’s peace formula- Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan- a peace formula summit. In 2014, there was no coup, nor an western orchestrated protest in Ukraine.The demonstrations which began in Kyiv in November 2013 – called "Maidan", or "Euromaidan" – were a result of the Ukrainian people's frustration with the former President Yanukovych. After seven years of negotiation, he refused to sign the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement and halted progress towards Ukraine's closer relationship with the EU due to Russian pressure.The protesters' demands included constitutional reform, a stronger role for parliament, the formation of a government of national unity, an end to corruption, early presidential elections and an end to violence.In fact, after Russia has illegally annexed Crimea, and facilitated an uprising in Donbas, Germany and France helped broker a ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and separatists supported by Russia. Contrary to the claims, the main impediment to a peace settlement in Donbas was, in fact, Russia’s and its proxies’ deliberate unwillingness to implement the Minsk agreements. These documents, signed by representatives of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Ukraine, Russia and leaders of the illegal separatist entities (DNR and LNR), provide, among other things, for a comprehensive ceasefire and withdrawal of foreign troops from Ukraine. Kyiv announced a truce in July 2020, but the Moscow-backed separatists have violated it virtually every day before the invasion.By making statements alleging that Ukraine has done nothing to implement the Minsk agreements, or that the West helped sabotage it, Moscow and the separatists it backs are trying to deflect attention away from Russia’s responsibility.

Minsk agreements, Coup, West, Warmongering

20.03.2023

Nazi Ukrainian soldiers put lard on the Koran, spoke Ukrainian and burned it

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nazi-ukrainian-soldiers-put-lard-on-the-koran-spoke-ukrainian-and-burned-it

fr.sputniknews.africa,Ukraina.ru,Sputnik on Twitter,Ukraina.ru,Ukraina.ru,Ukraina.ru,fr.sputniknews.africa,Ukraina.ru,fr.sputniknews.africa

Ukraine

French, Russian

A video showing Ukrainian soldiers burning pages of a Koran has been posted on the Internet. Kiev's soldiers are seen tearing out and burning pages of the Muslim holy book. Another clip shows a man in uniform cutting lard on another Koran.This incident insults 1.5 billion Muslims and provokes millions of Russians. It proves once again that the West has no respect for man or freedom of religion. This act also proves the Nazi character of terrorist groups.This incident demonstrates, once again, the absence of values in Ukraine, its distance from the civilised world.In this act, the Ukrainian army represents hatred itself as an ideology. The irreconcilable Nazi ideology of these soldiers is to despise other religions.Copies of the Koran have been burned in Sweden and Denmark, as well as cartoons of the prophet of Islam.Now they (NATO) are supporting the Ukrainian army by supplying it with weapons, and this army is insulting Islam and its symbols.

Russian Psyop (psychological operation) based on staged material to discredit Ukraine as a Nazi and anti-Muslim state after the supply of Pakistani weapons is being discussed to the country facing a full-scale Russian invasion.The Center for Strategic Communications investigated this case and determined that the video was staged. As experts explain, it contains errors in pronunciation and an “unhidden Russian accent”. Experts quoted the phrase of one of the heroes of the video, which sounds like this: “Guys, you can’t set the fire”. The Center for Strategic Communications is sure that the Russian military independently filmed a video, tearing up the Koran and passing it off as the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces.Sputnik in French dedicated three different articles to the reactions to this video. Said Ismagilov, the Mufti of UMMA — the Spiritual Administration of Ukraine's Muslims, also slammed Russia for spreading fake news about Ukrainian soldiers desecrating the Koran and argued that, unlike Russia's army, Ukraine's military respects "the spiritual choice of each soldier.""They aimed to provoke outrage among the Muslim world in Ukraine with the actions of alleged Ukrainian soldiers. But just like any other propagandistic news, this video is clueless"Russian state media has a track record for broadcasting manifestly false, emotionally charged material to stoke anger. See our article on this topic: Lighting fire to emotions with lies. Read also related cases: Macron government tried to create inter-religious conflict against Muslims in France, the West supports neo-Nazis in Ukraine, West turned a blind eye to Nazism.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, Nazi/Fascist, West, Terrorism, Muslim/Islam

20.03.2023

The US is responsible for the rift between Europe and Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-responsible-for-the-rift-between-europe-and-russia

raialyoum.com,palestine.shafaqna.com,kachaf.com,arabic.rt.com

US, Russia, Europe, China

Arabic

The historical paradox for the United States lies in the fact that, having achieved unquestionable success in striking the hegemony that would have been generated by the economic and political unity of Russia and Europe, it created for itself a new, more dangerous strategic threat, which is the partnership between Moscow and Beijing. Despite its success in creating a rift between Russia and Europe, the United States finds itself unable to drive a wedge between Russia and China.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US having malicious intentions towards Europe, trying to deflect Russia's responsibility for the worsening relations with Europe by claiming that the US caused it.It is Russia that started an unprovoked full-scale invasion in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and creating a serious danger to European security.This narrative also implies an alleged loss of sovereignty of the EU and its member states. Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet-states or colonies of the US. See our article Key Narratives in Pro-Kremlin Disinformation Part 3: ‘Lost Sovereignty’.The European Union is a sovereign entity, created by the voluntary initiative of European nations, and it has its own, independent foreign policy. Its citizens are directly represented in the European Parliament and Member States are represented in the European Council and the Council of the EU.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that EU and NATO member states are subordinate to the US, while the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate, that lined up with the US, the EU never took independent decisions, that Europe is a colony of the United States, that When the US orders, the EU complies.

US presence in Europe, Conspiracy theory, Europe

20.03.2023

ICC: Putin's arrest warrant is a cheap trick to mess with Moscow

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/icc-putins-arrest-warrant-is-a-cheap-trick-to-mess-with-moscow

ru.armeniasputnik.am,nv.am

Russia, Ukraine

Russian

The US authorities once called the International Criminal Court in The Hague "virtually dead." However, the other day it showed signs of life by issuing a warrant for the arrest of the President of Russia. For the West, this was a low-cost way to play tricks on Moscow and please Zelenskyy.

A new pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative following the decision communicated on 17 March 2023 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for the war crime of unlawful deportation of the population from Ukraine to Russia during the war in Ukraine. The narrative tries to paint the ICC’s decision as a manifestation of Russophobia, a senseless action against Russia to satisfy the Ukrainians.The ICC, the world's permanent war crimes court was created by the Rome Statute, a treaty ratified by all the EU states, as well as Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, 33 African countries and 19 nations in the South Pacific. Russia is not a member and neither are China, the United States or India.Russia signed the Rome Statute in 2000, but withdrew its backing in 2016, after the ICC classified Moscow's annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula as an armed conflict.As a result of the ICC's decision, 123 member states are obliged to detain and transfer Putin if he sets foot on their territory, significantly limiting his ability to travel abroad. Diplomatic immunity would not protect him against this.Putin is just the third head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court while still in power. Russian disinformation media are trying to reduce the UN-sponsored institution of the ICC, which employs 18 judges, to a meaningless organisation. The Russian Foreign Ministry called any decisions of the ICC “insignificant from the point of view of law”, and the Kremlin specifies that Moscow does not recognize the jurisdiction of this court. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitri Medvedev threatened the court with a hypersonic missile. As the crimes are committed on the territory of Ukraine is does not matter for the legal case if Russia recognise the ICC or not. See more about whataboutism.Read the OSCE Report on violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity committed in Ukraine since 24 February 2022.Read more about the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.See more cases on the ICC arrest warrant on Putin here.

International Criminal Court, Vladimir Putin, war crimes, War crimes, ICC, War in Ukraine, Stealing children, Invasion of Ukraine, West

20.03.2023

The US needs a big war in Europe to prevent own economic collapse

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-needs-a-big-war-in-europe-to-prevent-own-economic-collapse

sputnik.by

US, Ukraine

Russian

Whoever the next US president will be, the US will do its best to provoke a big war in Europe – this is the only chance to avoid US banking collapse. Furthermore, the probability of a new civil war on social and ethnic grounds in the US is quickly increasing – moreover, latently, it is already in progress. Driven by Russophobia, the US will continue attempts to broaden the Ukraine crisis.

Claims about a civil war, imminent state collapse, and attempts to exaggerate, fuel and exploit racial tensions in the US date back to the USSR and are continued by contemporary pro-Kremlin media outlets.The publication also promotes a disinformation narrative accusing the US of Russophobia and an allegedly belligerent and hostile anti-Russian agenda. The US and other Western countries support Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. However there are no US or NATO forces on the frontline and the western countries are not planning to “broaden” the war as alleged.Read similar cases claiming that the “systemic racism” paradigm is deadly for America’s white people, who are disenfranchised and oppressed, that the Democratic Party is disintegrating the United States by attacking the white population and that in the US, pro-Trump whites are marked for political, economic, cultural if not physical extermination.

US disintegration, War in Ukraine, Conspiracy theory, Russophobia, Civil war

19.03.2023

All of Europe is now occupied by NATO

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/all-of-europe-is-now-occupied-by-nato

cz.sputniknews.com

Ukraine, Georgia, Russia

Czech

All of Europe is now occupied by NATO which is moving even further, to Ukraine and Georgia.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying NATO as an aggressive organisation, aiming to encircle Russia. NATO is a political and military alliance which was formed after WWII in an effort to cooperate on problem solving between its members. It also provides security guarantees. Membership is strictly optional, NATO is open to any “European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area”.Georgia is currently one of NATO’s closest partners and aspires to join the alliance, it was confirmed in 2008 that Georgia will become a NATO member. Following the Russia-Georgia crisis in August of the same year, the Allies continue to support Georgia’s territorial integrity and call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the separatist territories.Ukraine has also cooperated with NATO since the 1990s. Following Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, individual NATO members have been supplying military equipment to Ukraine, so it can defend itself against military aggression, in accordance to the UN Charter. See a similar disinformation case here.

NATO, Occupation, EU/NATO enlargement

19.03.2023

Crimean referendum of nine years ago represents the highest form of democracy

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/crimean-referendum-of-nine-years-ago-represents-the-highest-form-of-democracy

lantidiplomatico.it

Russia, Ukraine, UK, US

Italian

US and Britain, Ukraine’s puppet masters, cannot acknowledge that the Crimean referendum of nine years ago represents the highest form of democracy, because the West is the enemy of democracy.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation about the illegal annexation of CrimeaIn 2014, Russian troops obliged the parliament of Crimea to organise a so-called referendum, which was illegitimate under international law, and then formally annexed the peninsula and brought it under Russian territorial control.No international body recognises the so-called referendum in 2014. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.Read similar cases claiming that The West has made Ukraine its colony and is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder, that Crimea rejoined Russia as a result of a popular referendum, that Ukraine, USA and EU recognised the reunification of Crimea with Russia, and that Crimea voted to secede after the coup in Kyiv

West, Democracy, Crimea, Referendum, Manipulated elections/referendum, War in Ukraine

19.03.2023

The arrest warrant issued by the ICC - International Criminal Court against Putin poses new challenges to chances for peace

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-arrest-warrant-issued-by-the-icc-international-criminal-court-against-putin-poses-new-challenges-to-chances-for-peace

lantidiplomatico.it

Russia, Ukraine

Italian

Since the beginning of the Ukrainian war, one of the cornerstones of US strategy has been to isolate Putin. The arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Putin destroys the Tribunal's last semblance of credibility and poses new challenges to Ukraine's chances for peace, as it makes it more difficult for Western politicians to have contact with the Kremlin.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives presenting the US and International Criminal Court (ICC) as anti-Russian bodies participating in the war in Ukraine.Western countries emphasise the personal responsibility of Vladimir Putin for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. As stressed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HRVP) Josep Borrell: “President Putin and his government started a war against an independent, sovereign neighbouring country. The behaviour of the Russian leadership constitutes a major threat to international peace and security.”The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine says that Russian authorities have committed a wide range of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in various regions of Ukraine, many of which amount to war crimes. Read here for the full report.On 17 March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova. The court alleges Putin is responsible for war crimes, and has focused on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia committed from 24 February 2022 - when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.In a statement, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe that Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.As far as peace negotiations are concerned, the EU Council Conclusions of 09 February 2023 state unequivocally:"Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with its steadfast support for as long as it takes."The EU supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace, including President Zelenskyy’s peace formula, Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan and a peace formula summit.At the same time, the West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Read similar cases claiming that the West demonises Vladimir Putin and closed the way to negotiations in Ukraine, that the West has one goal: to eliminate Russia that fifty countries are trying to wipe Russia off the Earth and that Biden’s visit to Kyiv proves that the West is a direct party in the Ukrainian war.See more cases concerning the ICC arrest warrant on Putin here.

Anti-Russian, War in Ukraine, war crimes, International Criminal Court, Vladimir Putin

18.03.2023

The ICC is a puppet in the hands of the collective West

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-icc-is-a-puppet-in-the-hands-of-the-collective-west

sahafahh.net,24press.net,nabdn.com,sa24.co,arabic.rt.com,almarsad.co

Russia

Arabic

This biased, politicised and incompetent international court has once again proven its inferiority. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a puppet in the hands of the collective West, always ready to exercise false justice. Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute, and therefore the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Russia and its citizens. We consider any documents issued by this body to be illegal and void.

Pro Kremlin narrative discrediting the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the context of its investigation into war crimes committed during the military invasion of Ukraine.This claim has been neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.On 17 March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.As a result of the ICC's decision, 123 member states are obliged to detain and transfer Putin if he sets foot on their territory, significantly limiting his ability to travel abroad. Diplomatic immunity would not protect him against this.The ICC has jurisdiction to try individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression if:-the country where the offence was committed is a party to the Rome Statute or accepted the Court’s jurisdiction on an ad hoc basis with respect to a given situation by lodging a Declaration under article 12(3) of the Statute.; -or the perpetrator's country of origin is a party to the Rome Statute.On 16 November 2016, Putin signed a decree formally withdrawing Russia from the agreement on the ICC in the Hague. However, the crimes for which the two arrest warrants were issued were committed on Ukrainian territory. Ukraine accepted the Court's jurisdiction over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute occurring on its territory twice, pursuant to article 12(3) of the Statute. The first declaration lodged by the Government of Ukraine accepted ICC jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes committed on Ukrainian territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014. The second declaration extended this time period on an open-ended basis to encompass ongoing alleged crimes committed throughout the territory of Ukraine from 20 February 2014 onwards.The court's jurisdiction is clearly established.The ICC is an independent body whose mission is to try individuals for crimes within its jurisdiction without the need for a special mandate from the United Nations. On 4 October 2004, the ICC and the United Nations signed an agreement governing their institutional relationship. Within the Court, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) is itself an independent body.The accusations about the ICC or the OTP being puppets in the hands of the collective West is a conspiracy theory.Read also related cases such as: Russia does not recognise the International Criminal Court at The Hague, the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia is an absurd hoax, Russia hits only military targets in Ukraine.See more cases concerning the ICC arrest warrant here.

ICC, International Criminal Court, International Law, War crimes, Vladimir Putin, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

18.03.2023

Georgia: US and its satellites promoting the Georgian Maidan

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/georgia-us-and-its-satellites-promoting-the-georgian-maidan

Ritm Evrazii

Georgia, Russia, US

Russian

In a constant desire to open a "second front" against Russia, the US, and its satellites are promoting the Georgian "Maidan".Western political technologists - specialists in "colour revolutions" did not find anything better than working according to the old scenario - the primitive "Ukrainian tracing paper": now thousands of "hot" Caucasian guys have taken to the streets of Georgian cities, ready to commit acts of violence day and night long, organising riots and pogroms.[...] the United States has to cling to “the last straw” out of hopelessness, shaking the situation in the country in order to overthrow the legitimate government.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about foreign-led ‘colour revolutions’ and Ukraine’s Maidan protests., and Russia as the ultimate target of international events.Framing all popular protests against Russia’s interests as a foreign-led ‘colour revolution’ is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative. There is no evidence given to back any of these allegations. Georgia’s protests are driven by strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media, and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association. The bill could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN.The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia, that Protests in Georgia are attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan, that Protests in Georgia orchestrated from abroad, that The West obstructs Georgia’s attempt to become an independent state, or that Foreign agents in Georgia exploit naïve protesters for regime change.

Euromaidan, Colour revolutions, Anglo-Saxon, Conspiracy theory, Protest, Coup, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Sovereignty

18.03.2023

Donbas children not deported to Russia but saved from bombing

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/donbas-children-not-deported-to-russia-but-saved-from-bombing

lantidiplomatico.it

Ukraine, Russia

Italian

Donbas children were not deported to Russia. The International Criminal Court remained silent in the face of the murders of children in the Donbas by the Ukrainians for eight years, while only Russia helped them. The children were saved from the bombing after their parents were killed by Ukrainian bombs.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives denying war crimes committed by the Russian armed forces and the Russian federal administration and about ethnic cleansing presented as justification for the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022.The abduction and forced transportation of Ukrainian children to Russia has been documented by the UN, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Ukraine has already reported the actions of Russia's children’s ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova to the International Criminal Court (ICC).On 17 March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.The court alleges Vladimir Putin is responsible for war crimes, and has focused its claims on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.It says the crimes were committed in Ukraine from 24 February 2022 - when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.In a statement, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.There is no evidence that either ethnic Russians or Russian speakers are facing persecution at the hands of the Ukrainian authorities, much less the danger of annihilation on grounds of nationality, ethnicity, or cultural belonging. This has been confirmed by reports issued by the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the OSCE.Read similar cases stating that the kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia is an absurd hoax and that secret society of paedophiles takes revenge on Putin with ICC warrant.

ICC, war crimes, War in Ukraine, Stealing children, ethnic cleansing, Invasion of Ukraine

18.03.2023

Crimea celebrates ninth anniversary of reunification with Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/crimea-celebrates-ninth-anniversary-of-reunification-with-russia

RT English

Russia, Ukraine

English

Nine years ago, Crimea voted to reunite with Russia despite much protest from Kiev and the West which continues to this day.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Russian occupation and illegal annexation of Crimea.No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was NOT valid and declaring its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.The European Union does not recognise and continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law, which remains a challenge to the international security order. In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Russian Federation. In June 2021, the European Council decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2022.See other cases of disinformation about the illegal annexation of Crimea: Crimea reunited with Russia after the signature of the accession treaty to Russia; Crimea rejoined Russia as a result of a popular referendum; Crimea become part of Russia after a referendum; Russia did not annex Crimea; Joining Russia saved Crimea from bloodshed; As a result of the Ukrainian coup, Crimea returns to Russia; Crimea has never been Ukraine.

Crimea, Historical revisionism, illegal annexation

17.03.2023

Manoeuvering led US drone into uncontrolled flight, eventual crash

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/manoeuvering-led-us-drone-into-uncontrolled-flight-eventual-crash

cz.sputniknews.com

Russia, US, Ukraine

Czech

On the morning of March 14, a US drone with its transponders turned off violated the border of the provisionally used area over the Black Sea. According to official information, the drone flew towards the Russian border in Crimea. Russian fighter jets were sent to identify the intruder. As a result of manoeuvering, the drone went into uncontrolled flight with loss of altitude and fell into water. The Russian fighter jets did not come into contact with the drone, did not use any weapons, and returned successfully to base.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an alleged illegal US military threat against which Russia has no choice but to defend itself.On 14 March 2023 a US MQ-9 drone crashed in the Black Sea after it was violently destabilized by Russian SU-27 fighters in international airspace. The claim that any country would destroy any foreign aircraft in international airspace is incorrect. The claim that the US drone would have penetrated later in the Russian airspace if not eliminated is a speculation inconsistent with the drone's trajectory. The nearest national airspace to the drone was Ukraine's, not Russia, but that is beside the point as it was in international airspace.Read stories related to the incidents in the Black Sea related to unfounded Russian territorial claims: UK destroyer's passage near Crimea violated international law, UK warship violated Russian territorial waters, HMS Defender violated international law when sailing in Russian territorial waters near Crimea, UK ship HMS Defender violated Russian territorial waters in Crimea, US destroyer violated Russian territorial waters, US destroyer violated Russian territorial waters.

Black Sea, Crimea

17.03.2023

Maia Sandu's regime is eradicating Moldovan identity

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/maia-sandus-regime-is-eradicating-moldovan-identity

Rubaltic.ru

Moldova

Russian

Maia Sandu's regime today is trying to use all means to eradicate the very concept of "Moldova". One of the main tools for achieving this goal, which contradicts the interests of the majority of the country's inhabitants, is the question of the name of the state language. The processes in relation to the state language that are taking place today in Moldova are a reforming of the mentality and rewriting of history. This is targeting Moldova's sovereignty.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative falsely claiming that Moldova’s actions are not independent and attempting to denigrate its President, Maia Sandu. The decision to rename the state language is presented as a Western plot to Romanise Moldova.The official state language in Moldova is Romanian, the native language of 82.2% of the population. In 1991, the Declaration of Independence of Moldova from the USSR named the official language as Romanian, referring to the 1989 law adopted by the former Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic.In December 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that the Declaration of Independence takes precedence over the Constitution, and the state language should be called "Romanian".The International Organisation for Standardisation, which originally provided a separate code for the Moldovan language, later abolished it and identifies Moldova's language as Romanian.See more disinformation narratives on Moldova and Maia Sandu.

West, Maia Sandu, Historical revisionism

17.03.2023

US drone was downed because it threatened Russian territorial integrity

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-drone-was-downed-because-it-threatened-russian-territorial-integrity

Sputnik on Twitter,Ukraina.ru,odysee.com

US, Russia

French, Russian

It is objectively a provocation since it is an intelligence drone,[..] it was approaching Crimea and Russian borders to transmit information to Ukraine. The fact that Russia reacted is not in itself a sign of escalation. It is a sign of defense of its territory and its territorial integrity. Any country that sees any threat to its territorial security will destroy that threat. We remember not very long ago that the United States saw in a Chinese weather balloon a threat to national security and they destroyed it while this balloon was outside their territorial zone.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an alleged illegal US military threat against which Russia has no choice but to defend itself.On 14 March 2023 a US MQ-9 Drone Crashed in Black Sea after it was violently destabilized by Russian SU-27 fighters in international airspace. The claim that any country would destroy any foreign aircraft in international airspace is incorrect. The claim that the US drone would have penetrated later in the Russian airspace if not eliminated is a speculation inconsistent with the drone's trajectory. The nearest national airspace to the drone was Ukraine's, not Russia, but that is beside the point as it was in international airspace. The comparison with the Chinese balloon that US downed on 4 February 2023 is irrelevant since the device flew over Canadian and US for a week before being shot down over U.S. territorial waters off the coast of Surfside Beach, South Carolina.Read stories related to the incidents in the Black Sea related to unfounded Russian territorial claims: UK destroyer's passage near Crimea violated international law, UK warship violated Russian territorial waters, HMS Defender violated international law when sailing in Russian territorial waters near Crimea, UK ship HMS Defender violated Russian territorial waters in Crimea, US destroyer violated Russian territorial waters, US destroyer violated Russian territorial waters.

Black Sea, NATO, Invasion of Ukraine, International Law, Provocation, Anti-Russian

17.03.2023

ICC arrest warrant proves the West wants to destroy Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/icc-arrest-warrant-proves-the-west-wants-to-destroy-russia

md.tsargrad.tv

EU, Europe, Ukraine, Russia

Russian

There is no need to discuss the absurdity of the accusations against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova. It makes sense to discuss only one thing: now the West has openly said that it wants to deprive all of us of the country and freedom, to destroy our state.

Recurring the pro-Kremlin narrative about the hostile West and Russophobia.The arrest warrants are issued in the name of two people - Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, based on the evidence accumulated by prosecutors since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. „Pre-Trial Chamber II considered, based on the Prosecution’s applications of 22 February 2023, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children”, is said in the statement of the International Criminal Court (ICC).​The ICC is an independent court, not subject to any political influence, who investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. It acts based on an international treaty called the Rome Statute, ratified by 123 countries.Se here a case claiming that the West supported anti-Russian elites in Ukraine to destroy Russia and here a case calling the war in Ukraine „a global conflict to destroy Russia”.

war crimes, Vladimir Putin, ICC

16.03.2023

Thousands of migrants were killed in Poland

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/thousands-of-migrants-were-killed-in-poland

pl.sputniknews.com

Poland, Belarus

Polish

The Polish authorities are hiding the number of migrants who died at the Polish-Belarusian border. According to the testimony of Emil Czeczko (a Polish soldier who fled to Belarus and was found hanged in a rented apartment in Minsk), there may be thousands of migrants who were killed in Poland. The Polish activists themselves are starting to talk about it. Three hundred [dead migrants] can be multiplied by several times, and then we will get the actual number of people killed in Poland.

Disinformation related to the migration situation at the EU - Belarus border.Belarusian and Russian propaganda are using fake statements from a Polish deserter soldier Emil Czeczko, who made groundless claims about “mass executions” of migrants in Poland.In 2021, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia faced an influx of irregular migrants arriving via Belarus. Earlier, Belarus had terminated cooperation with the EU to stem illegal migration. This was Lukashenka's answer to the European Union sanctions against the political regime of Belarus (read more about sanctions here).Belarus consistently accused its neighbouring countries of brutal behaviour toward migrants and violation of human rights. However, these accusations are not supported by facts. It is true that there were several tragic accidents near the border that caused the deaths of some migrants. At the end of 2021, the estimates of migrants' deaths during this crisis ranged from 13 to 21 (see information here and here). In any case, nowhere near the numbers referred to in this article.There is plenty of evidence that the Belarusian authorities have instigated the migration crisis in Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Lukashenka's regime is using migrants from the Middle East as "political and hybrid" tools against Lithuania and the entire EU.The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the situation on the EU-Belarusian border is not a bilateral issue of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus but a hybrid attack against the whole EU. The Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy (HRVP) Josep Borrell stressed that responsibility for the migration crisis falls on the Lukashenka regime.See related cases of disinformation: Lithuania and Poland should end their mockery of the migrants; A sea of unknown migrants’ graves is located at the Polish border and Polish Border Guards killed thousands of illegal migrants.

Migration crisis, migration

15.03.2023

The US Army may become directly involved in the Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-army-may-become-directly-involved-in-the-ukraine

pl.sputniknews.com

US, Russia, Ukraine

Polish

US forces may become directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict if the Ukrainian Army fails. The American involvement may develop according to the scenario of the Vietnam campaign - despite the supply of weapons, the troops of the Kyiv regime may lose.

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about alleged US provocative actions linked to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, claiming that the West (EU/NATO) is involved in the war on the Ukrainian side.The war began in 2014 with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia’s military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. Russia’s protracted invasion of Ukraine is unprovoked and unjustified.Neither the US nor European countries have declared war on Russia or want to escalate the war in Ukraine. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.Western weapons being delivered to Ukraine are to allow this country to repel Russia’s brutal aggression. Peace cannot be achieved by letting an unarmed Ukraine facing a highly militarised Russia that denies its sovereignty.Article 51 of the UN Charter states the following: “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.”This article – when applied to the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022 – gives Ukraine the right to defend its territory.See other similar cases accusing the West of providing Ukraine with scrap metal weapons, claiming that the West is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder, or proving that the conflict in Ukraine was provoked by Washington.

War in Ukraine, Military, US presence in Europe

15.03.2023

Western special services influence internal and external processes in Georgia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/western-special-services-influence-internal-and-external-processes-in-georgia

news.milli.az

Georgia, US

Azerbaijani

The West knows very well that if Garibashvili's government succeeds in passing the Foreign Agents law, it will block the ability of Western (US) special services to influence internal and external processes in Georgia, as well as their access to other nearby countries through Georgia, limiting the possibilities of convenient access.

Disinformation around the March 2023 protests in Georgia claiming that Western special services, in the case meaning the US, interfere in Georgia's domestic affairs and presenting it as a puppet of Western powers. No evidence has been provided to support this claim which is a leitmotif of pro-Kremlin disinformation. Georgia is an independent and sovereign country with independently elected institutions such as its parliament and president. The elections were free and fair according to international observations see here and here. The US and Georgia have very good relations. Georgia received 4,3 billion USD in financial aid from the US in 1992-2020. The US supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Massive grassroot protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”. Many protesters saw the draft law as a legal step being inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Further, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” bill after the ruling party withdrew support.See more cases such as EU observers in Armenia are employees of Western-intelligence services, Srebrenica massacre in 1995 was a provocation staged-by Western security services and the US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia.

Secret services, Coup, Colour revolutions, Protest

15.03.2023

West is interfering in Georgian protests

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/west-is-interfering-in-georgian-protests

musavat.com

Georgia

Azerbaijani

The West is trying to block the adoption of the foreign agents law through the expansion of public protests, and seems clearly interested in the development of actions until the overthrow of the Garibashvili government, which avoids confrontation with Russia and does not join sanctions and in creating another conflict next to Russia's borders.

Disinformation around the March 2023 protests in Georgia claiming that the collective West is escalating the protests because the Garibashvili government does not join it in sanctioning Russia. Fits into a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolutions, portraying popular protests in the former Soviet republics as Western-instigated coup d'état.There is no evidence that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power. Massive protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organizations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”.Many protesters saw the draft law as a legal step being inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Further, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” bill after the ruling party withdrew support.The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray as a coup d’état the Euromaidan revolution. The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was a reaction by numerous segments of the Ukrainian population to former president Viktor Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013.Read a similar disinformation case claiming that The US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia.

Colour revolutions, Protest, Coup

14.03.2023

The West wants to tear Russia apart

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-wants-to-tear-russia-apart

news.am,tass.ru,vz.ru

Russia

Armenian, Russian

If for our Western so-called partners [...] the point is to improve the geopolitical situation, then for us,<…> this is a struggle for the existence of Russian statehood itself.The enemy has one task - to rock Russia, to tear it apart. So for us, this is not a geopolitical task, but the task of the survival of Russian statehood,

Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy, ruin Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.The West has never strived to destroy Russia as a state. From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the West has been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow. According to the 1997 Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, Russia was viewed as a partner of the alliance.The EU has conducted half-year summits with the Russian leadership for years until 2014 in an effort to enhance relations. EU has also tried to change the course of Russia's aggressive actions and give diplomacy a chance such as with the efforts of HRVP Josep Borrell - see here.The West emphasises that they are not striving for the collapse of Russia or for some kind of reformatting of it. US President Joe Biden, speaking recently in Warsaw, addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia. French president Macron stated that "Russia must be defeated but not crushed."The sharp deterioration in relations between the West and Russia is directly linked to Moscow's illegal actions. A number of issues affect bilateral relations, including Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere, and repeated malign activities including disinformation campaigns.The EU imposed restrictive measures on Moscow in 2014, which have been amplified and broadened since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and creating a serious danger to European security.For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, West, Vladimir Putin, Anti-Russian, Russophobia, Encircling Russia

14.03.2023

The special military operation is a proxy war between Russia and the West

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-special-military-operation-is-a-proxy-war-between-russia-and-the-west

LDiena.lt

Russia, Ukraine, Europe

Lithuanian

The special military operation is different from a real war. It allows Russia and the West to fight each other not directly. The West is using Ukraine to attack Russia. Western countries are sending their own soldiers to the zone of conflict as “mercenaries”. The Russian military answer to Western countries also is indirect, targeting Western proxies.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of direct involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.The West is not a part of the conflict in Ukraine. Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, following the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. In several Western countries instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use modern weapons and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but no NATO troops are fighting on the front.Read more disinformation cases about the Russian unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.

West, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

14.03.2023

The West obstructs Georgia’s attempt to become an independent state

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-obstructs-georgias-attempt-to-become-an-independent-state

LDiena.lt

Georgia

Lithuanian

The attempt to adopt legislation about “foreign agents” was an attempt by Georgia to become independent from the influence of the West. The very bad economical and social situation is linked to the West's continuous interference in Georgia’s affairs. The West considers Georgia its own resource but not an independent state.

Disinformation about the March 2022 protests in Georgia presenting it as a puppet of Western powers. There is no evidence that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power. Massive protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”.Many protesters saw the draft law as a legal step inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Furthermore, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” bill after the ruling party withdrew support.See other cases of disinformation presenting some countries as the puppets of the West: Protests in Georgia are an attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan; Germany is the vassal of Washington; The UK is building an anti-Russian coalition using vassals.

West, Puppets, Colour revolutions, Imperialism/colonialism

14.03.2023

Bucha massacre was orchestrated by Ukrainian forces

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/bucha-massacre-was-orchestrated-by-ukrainian-forces

Sputnik on Twitter,sputniknews.lat,fr.sputniknews.africa

Ukraine, Russia

French, Spanish

Bucha was orchestrated by Kyiv to discredit the Russian army later presented by Western media as the "Bucha massacre". Ukraine accused Russian troops of massacring and retaliating against civilians in the city. The dead bodies depicted in the photos and videos are very real. "The Bucha Massacre" is rendered a farce by the events leading up to its "unveiling" which have been almost completely ignored by Western media.After the departure of Russian soldiers from Bucha, a gesture of goodwill from Moscow, the mayor of Bucha published a video speaking in a cheerful voice, welcoming the withdrawal of troops, but does not mention the alleged "atrocities".Bucha was then subjected to massive and indiscriminate shelling by Ukrainian artillery. According to military correspondents, the Ukrainian military simply did not notice the withdrawal of Russian troops and continued to shell the city.The Ukrainian authorities have not provided detailed and verified forensic reports revealing the dates and causes of civilian deaths. Nevertheless, there were claims that civilians had died from wounds caused by darts.This type of shell has been used by the Ukrainian forces against the population of Donbass for several years, which suggests that the bombardment of Bucha with this type of ammunition would not have been unusual.

Recurrent denial of war crimes committed by Russian forces during the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine and denial of military retreat by an alleged “gesture of goodwill”.The retreat of Russian forces took place because they were losing the battle for Kyiv. They needed massive reinforcements to take the capital that were not available. However, the Kremlin presented this as a “gesture of goodwill” to favour negotiations in Istanbul.It is grossly incorrect to say that no details were released on the victims. In December 2022 an investigation based on videos and telephone metadata of civilian devices stolen by Russian soldiers established the responsibility of a Russian regiment — and its commander — for the death of several dozens of civilians from Bucha.It is equally incorrect to quote the videos of the Mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, when denying the war crimes. Fedoruk had publicly commented on the violence before the Russian troops left in an interview with Italian news agency Adnkronos on March 28, where he accused them of killings and rapes in Bucha.In an AP interview on March 7, Fedoruk talked about dead bodies piling up in Bucha: “We can’t even gather up the bodies because the shelling from heavy weapons doesn’t stop day or night. Dogs are pulling apart the bodies on the city streets. It’s a nightmare.”Satellite images by Maxar Technologies from when Russian troops occupied Bucha on March 18 and 19 back up Fedoruk’s account of bodies in the streets, showing at least five bodies on one road.It is incorrect to quote the Guardian stating that Ukrainian artillery killed civilians with the use of small arrows after the so-called “gesture of goodwill”. On the contrary, the article points to Russian artillery based on several testimonies.The EU stands in full solidarity with Ukraine as formulated in this statement by Commission President von der Leyen during which she talks about how Russia must be held accountable for the horrific crimes in Bucha and elsewhere.Read also related cases: Bucha massacre was carried out by Ukrainian artillery, a French witness proved that the crimes in Bucha were organised by Ukraine, Kyiv created a new "Bucha" in the Kharkiv region, Alleged “mass graves” found in Izium are a Bucha-like provocation of Ukraine, Ukraine is preparing a provocation at Zaporizhzhia similar to the one in Bucha, Bucha is a fabrication only used to interrupt negotiations, Accusations about Bucha are as false as claims that Russia bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Western media have decided that Russia is guilty in Bucha despite the lack of evidence.

Mainstream media, Media, fake news, Anti-Russian, war crimes, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

14.03.2023

More and more European countries embrace Nazism

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/more-and-more-european-countries-embrace-nazism

riafan.ru,RIA,life.ru,tass.ru,tvzvezda.ru,regnum.ru

Russia, Europe

Russian

More and more European countries are embracing direct Nazism. We see not just neo-Nazism, we see direct Nazism, which covers more and more European countries. We see how history is being destroyed before our eyes, holy monuments are being destroyed.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative justifying Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Unfounded allegations of “Nazism” are one of the most common pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives.The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the recurring techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest. Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".Read more disinformation cases claiming that the EU is Hitler's 'New Europe', that the European Union justifies Nazism, that the The EU is a Nazi project, that the European Union has Nazi Roots and that the The EU continues the aggressive policies of Nazi.

Nazi/Fascist, Invasion of Ukraine

14.03.2023

West destroys world order and economic cooperation

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/west-destroys-world-order-and-economic-cooperation

Rossiya 1

Ukraine, Russia, EU, US

Russian

The United States and its Western allies are hawks which destroy not only the world order that could exist without serious conflicts, but also international economic cooperation. They are suffering from problems themselves.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that Western sanctions have caused economic problems throughout the world. This claim was made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.In reality, it is Russia which has been putting the world economy in danger by disrupting supply chains since the start of its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. By blockading Ukrainian sea ports and hindering the export of Ukrainian grain, Russia was threatening to cause a famine in some African and Asian nations which depend on Ukrainian agricultural produce.Sanctions on Russia are aimed solely at some Kremlin-related Russian companies and individuals in an attempt to weaken Russia’s economy and bring the ongoing war of aggression to an end.It may be true that anti-Russian sanctions probably have some limited adverse effects on Western economies, but Russia's economy is more vulnerable because a larger part of it is dependent on oil and gas revenues. The intended aim of setting the price cap and other restrictions is to cause serious economic problems for Russia and prod it into acquiescing to a peace deal.Read more disinformation cases claiming that Anti-Russian sanctions will kill EU’s economic sovereignty, Sanctions are part of the hybrid war against Russia and Anti-Russian sanctions broke EU economy.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Sanctions

14.03.2023

Over a half of Americans love Russia despite US disinformation

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/over-a-half-of-americans-love-russia-despite-us-disinformation

pl.sputniknews.com

US, Russia

Polish

America spends billions of dollars on disinformation and falsification. The US authorities are trying to demoralise and damage the image of Russia – it is a doctrine of anti-Russian hatred. Despite this, more than a half of Americans actually love Russia and the Russians. During World War II, the Russian people proved to the world who they were. Russia lost 27 million people in the war, while America lost only 40-50,000. This fact shows the Russian sacrifice in order to defeat Nazism.

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Western propaganda and disinformation spread by the United States and the European Union in order to reach their alleged anti-Russian goals. The final part of the claim is connected to historical revisionism – it dramatically underestimates US casualties in WWII, while Russia attempts to appropriate "ownership" to the casualties of the Soviet Union in the WWII. In this regard, the Russian claim of Ukraine being "Nazi" is also an attempt to erase the fact that the population of Ukraine suffered tremendous losses during WWII and was under full Nazi-German occupation. In relative terms these losses were higher than those of Russia. The claim that the USA spends billions of dollars on “disinformation” is ungrounded.After the outbreak of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the number of Americans perceiving Russia as an enemy increased from 41% to 70% - only 3% of Americans believe that Russia is an American partner. About three-quarters of the Americans stand for further economic and military support of Ukraine in its defensive war against the full-scale Russian invasion.The US losses in WWII were not “40-50,000”, but 407,000 killed soldiers.See other cases connected to alleged Western anti-Russian propaganda: Deutsche Welle is the source of NATO propaganda; Contrary to Western propaganda, Russia is winning the war, and France and Germany plan to introduce Western propaganda in Russia.

Propaganda, Anti-Russian, Russophobia, WWII, Historical revisionism, Nazi/Fascist

14.03.2023

Zelenskyy is the Nazi supreme in Kyiv

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/zelenskyy-is-the-nazi-supreme-in-kyiv

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Russia

Hungarian

The Nazi supreme in Kyiv gave instructions to work on the issue of renaming Russia to Muscovy. Ukraine should be renamed the Pig Bandera Empire.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Nazi Ukraine in reaction to the petition circulating urging the Ukrainian government to officially change Russia’s name to “Muscovy,” which as explained by Politico is a term which originated in the 13th century and referred to large swaths of modern-day northwestern Russia. In reality, Ukraine is not a Nazi state and Nazism is not Ukraine’s ideology. The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. Far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan itself and had poor results in the 2019 election cycle, falling short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.A law passed in Ukraine in 2015 bans Nazi and Communist ideologies. The law prohibits the public use and propaganda of Nazi and Communist symbols. Far-right groups do exist in Ukraine, like in any other country, but they have a minor influence on politics and social life.See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.Read also similar cases: The far-right coup government in Kyiv emerged from the 2014 Maidan uprising, Zelenskyy's regime is based on Nazism and hatred towards Russians, Ukrainians imbued with destructive Nazi ideology, Bandera's sympathisers have large influence on Ukraine, Crimean Platform: the West nurtures neo-Nazi mood in Ukraine.

Nazi/Fascist, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russophobia

14.03.2023

Golden billion was deciding for Russia's development

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/golden-billion-was-deciding-for-russias-development

Rossiya 1

Russia

Russian

Until recently, a couple of years ago, the very external conditions that we need for development were determined not by us, but by the Western minority - the so-called golden billion, which promotes all its foreign policy initiatives with the sole goal of making the whole world live by the rules that allow the golden billion to continue the colonial policy that allows the West to continue to live at the expense of others.We managed not only to thwart the plans of the collective West to isolate and even dismember Russia, but also to ensure ongoing cooperation with the overwhelming majority of members of international cooperation.

The idea of the "golden billion" ruling the world and planning to reduce the world´s population is a wide-spread Russian conspiracy regularly narrated by pro-Kremlin outlets. In 2020, this false narrative was used during the coronavirus pandemic to accuse the "golden billion" of a plot aimed at reducing the planet's population.In 2019, the "golden billion" was plotting against Belarus, according to a pro-Kremlin disinformation media outlet.During Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, started in February 2022, the concept of the "golden million" was used by pro-Kremlin media to shift the blame of the war from Russia to the "golden billion". In May 2022, TASS reported that Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of Russia, accused "Anglo-Saxons" of "hiding their actions behind the human rights, freedom and democracy rhetoric," while pushing ahead "with the ‘golden billion’ doctrine, which implies that only select few are entitled to prosperity in this world." In June 2022, speaking at the International Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin said that the Kremlin was "forced" to invade Ukraine: "Our colleagues do not simply deny reality. They are trying to resist the course of history. They think in terms of the last century. They are in captivity of their own delusions about countries outside of the so-called golden billion, they see everything else as the periphery, their backyard, they treat these places as their colonies...".Historically, the idea of the "golden billion" was first introduced in the USSR's 1990 book "The Plot of World Government: Russia and the Golden Billion". Since then, not a single piece of evidence has been produced to confirm the existence of such a plot. At that same time in Russia, just after the collapse of USSR, something called the "Dulles plan" was made up. It was supposedly a plan by the CIA to destroy the Soviet Union during the Cold War by secretly corrupting the cultural heritage and moral values of the Soviet nation. This too is a wide-spread conspiracy in Russia.See also: NATO and the EU intend to use all political, economic, and military means in "the interests of the golden billion citizens of NATO and the European Union."See the analysis Always blame the West and six other disinformation trends.

West, Russophobia, Invasion of Ukraine

14.03.2023

The US is using Ukraine as a battleground

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-using-ukraine-as-a-battleground

oroszhirek.hu

US, Russia, Ukraine

Hungarian

The United States started the conflict in Ukraine and uses the Ukrainians as cannon fodder to maintain its hegemony in the world. The United States is using Ukraine as a battleground for a bigger conflict, the outcome of which will determine the reordering and future development of the world. The US has therefore installed a Nazi government on the Russian border and provoked a conflict to exhaust Moscow in the hope of weakening and defeating it.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that Ukraine is a Western "tool" against Russia. The claim aims to deflect any Russian responsibility for the unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. The claim also builds on another favorite Kremlin trope of lost sovereignty. In reality, Ukraine is a sovereign state with a democratically elected government and its own foreign and security policy. The country is not controlled by the US, EU or any other foreign organisation or government. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by most of the world but were violated by Russia from 2014. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to help Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s attack, but they are not involved in direct fighting. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Western instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use modern weaponry and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front. This support allows the Ukrainian armed forces to continue defending the country against the Russian aggression.The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our article Twelve-myths-about-Russia's war in Ukraine exposed.See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.

US presence in Europe, Nazi/Fascist, Invasion of Ukraine, Puppets

14.03.2023

The US tripled energy prices in Europe

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-tripled-energy-prices-in-europe

oroszhirek.hu

US, Russia, Europe

Hungarian

The European Union is grateful to the US for getting rid of its dependence on cheap Russian energy sources and for the tripling of its energy costs. One of the aims of the West's hybrid war is to demonise Russia in the eyes of the world community and to try to shift all the blame for this situation in the EU onto Moscow.

The claim advances recurring disinformation narratives painting the US as the primarily reason behind economic difficulties in Western economies. In 2022, the European countries actively switched to LNG deliveries partly from the US as a main alternative source of gas after the Russian decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe. After the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities destroyed the European trust in Gazprom as a predictable and solid partner. Throughout 2022, Russia deliberately cut the gas supplies to the EU. Europe is facing an energetic crisis that is directly linked not to the sanctions or US intervention, but to Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and its use of gas supplies as a weapon of war. The EU took steps “to secure the EU’s energy supplies, such as a gas storage regulation, a gas demand reduction regulation, the creation of an EU energy platform and outreach initiatives for the diversification of supply sources.” Russia is no longer a stable and reliable supplier and while Europe is indeed facing an energy crisis with diversification to other sources. Read here about the EU and the US sanctions explained.

Hybrid war, Energy, West, Destabilising Russia, Russophobia

13.03.2023

French studio releases animation series denouncing Zelenskyy's blood thirst

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/french-studio-releases-animation-series-denouncing-zelenskyys-blood-thirst

riafan.ru,News Front - German,fr.news-front.info,news-front.info,news-front.info

Russia, France, Ukraine, US

Russian, German, French

French animators launched a new animated series Ukraine Inc., in which Vladimir Zelenskyy is the main character. Ukraine is losing value for its partners. Not wanting to let this happen, the Ukrainian president is in a hurry to launch the military meat grinder conveyor belt.Without changing the cannons of Ukrainian mobilisation, Zelenskyy’s henchmen catch and beat people on the street. Western partners are happy, money is flying into the presidential suitcase, while the head of state himself uses alcohol, illegal substances and lives for his own pleasure. The defenders of Bakhmut can wait.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin narratives about the Ukrainian president allegedly slaughtering his own people to get money, alcohol and drugs from Western countries.This animation film “Ukraine Inc” does not have any credits and finishes with the title ‘Ukraine cocaine”. It is allegedly produced by a French animation studio, however only Russian media mention it. This recalls a previous information operation: last summer an animation movie targeting president Zelenskyy and Western countries was released by Russian accounts from an alleged “Barracudas” French animation studio. No such studio exists, nor has any French animator claimed the paternity of this work. However, as the fact-checkers from Delfi noted the artistic style of the “Stop Nazi games” cartoon resembles the work of Armenian animator David Sahakyants, who created the Kill Dim cartoon series two years ago. This is a political satire about Azerbaijan, which is portrayed as a puppet of Turkey and a threat to the security of Armenia. The cartoons use very similar artistic and visual imagery.This is a traditional use of a false flag technique in information operations. Previously, propagandists distributed anti-Ukrainian cartoons created by a Russian woman from Sochi, with comments that it was allegedly made by Israel.The cartoon uses fake clichés such as President Volodymyr Zelensky being addicted to cocaine, or the US hegemon pushing countries in the meat grinder of war. Most of all, it conveys the idea that the responsibility for deaths lies with the Ukrainians defending their land from Russia's war of aggression and its partners who support their defence.Read more disinformation cases about Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, Drugs, Totalitarianism, false flag

13.03.2023

Protests in Georgia orchestrated from abroad

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/protests-in-georgia-orchestrated-from-abroad

actualidad-rt.com

Georgia

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Georgia

The situation in Georgia is orchestrated from abroad to create instability near Russia’s borders. Protests against the bill on foreign agents are a pretext to start a power change attempt through force. Protests are similar to Kyiv’s Maidan that led to the coup in Ukraine in 2014.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about foreign-led ‘colour revolutions’, Ukraine’s Maidan protests and Russia as the ultimate target of international events.Framing all popular protests against Russia’s interests as foreign-led ‘colour revolutions’ is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative. There is now evidence to back any of these allegations. In fact, Georgia’s protests seem to be driven by strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents' law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association. Contrary to what this disinformation story claims, there is no trace of foreign interference in these protests.Allegations about Ukraine’s Maidan protests as a foreign-sponsored regime change operation have been debunked many times by EUvsDisinfo (see for example here).See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the West arranges puppet governments through colour revolutions, that Kyiv regime came to power as a result of illegal coup organised by the West, that after Ukraine, Western scriptwriters tried to organise coups d’etat in Belarus and Kazakhstan, or that colour revolutions provoked by the US and NATO created the migration crisis.

13.03.2023

EU High Representative Josep Borrell turns the EU into a military machine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/eu-high-representative-josep-borrell-turns-the-eu-into-a-military-machine

pl.sputniknews.com

EU, Ukraine

Polish

EU diplomat Josep Borrell is turning the European Union into a military machine, depriving the states of the ability to shape their own policies. Before the conflict in Ukraine, nation-states were responsible for the order and delivery of weapons. Now, this task has been taken over by Brussels, led by its chief diplomat Borrell. This situation is against the law - the EU undermines national legislation. From a legal point of view, defence and foreign policy is an exclusive affair of the EU nation-states. Only the government of a given country can decide how many weapons it will provide to a side of the conflict – this decision does not lay in the EU’s competence. Borrell put an end to this situation – now, the EU orders weapons for Ukraine and the countries deliver them.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the EU, portraying it as a belligerent organisation.The EU does not sponsor war, but is continuously calling out Moscow's responsibility to stop Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.The position of the European Union is that it is necessary to speed up the European military aid to Ukraine in order to improve the Ukrainian capacities in its defensive war against the Russian invasion. Recently, HRVP Josep Borrell supported the Estonian proposal for the EU to buy ammunition on behalf of its members to help Ukraine. On 20 March 2023, EU Foreign Affairs Minister approved a Council note on the delivery and joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine. EU leaders are expected to give their final blessing at a summit in Brussels later this week. Already on 17 October 2022, the European Council adopted additional assistance measures under the European Peace Facility (EPF) to further support the capabilities and resilience of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. With this, the EU further stepped up its support to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and protect the civilian population against the ongoing Russian war of aggression.Read more about the EU’s response and support for Ukraine.Read other disinformation cases about the Russian unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.

Military, War in Ukraine, Josep Borrell, EU disintegration, Brussels

13.03.2023

Maia Sandu destroys the Moldovan language

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/maia-sandu-destroys-the-moldovan-language

Rubaltic.ru

Moldova, Romania

Russian

Why is Maia Sandu destroying the Moldovan language?Moldova's ruling PAS party passed a law in a first reading, replacing Moldovan in official documents with Romanian. Maia Sandu's team is trying to compensate for its historical complexity and divert the population's attention away from more pressing and acute problems.The approval of the bill on languages is deeply fundamental for Chisinau's ruling elite, which, they believe, symbolises a victory over the Soviet past and supporters of a balanced foreign policy in the country.Right now in Moldova, the conditions are ideal for the adoption of laws in the interests of a narrow group of pro-Western politicians and their external curators.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the “lost sovereignty”, claiming that Moldova’s actions are not independent, but totally influenced by external forces and attempting to degenerate its President Maia Sandu.The official state language in Moldova is Romanian, the native language of 82.2% of the population. In 1991, the Declaration of Independence of Moldova from the USSR named the official language as Romanian, referring to the 1989 law adopted by the former Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic.In December 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that the Declaration of Independence takes precedence over the Constitution, and the state language should be called "Romanian".The International Organisation for Standardisation, which originally provided a separate code for the Moldovan language, later abolished it and identifies Moldova's language as Romanian.Thus, the recent decision of Moldova´s Parliament only brings the wording of the Constitution in line with the decision of the Constitutional Court.See more disinformation narratives on Moldova and Maia Sandu.

Maia Sandu, West, Puppets

13.03.2023

Foreign agents in Georgia exploit naïve protesters for regime change

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/foreign-agents-in-georgia-exploit-naive-protesters-for-regime-change

t.me,actualidad-rt.com

Georgia

Russian

The organizers of ‘colour revolutions' already have an enormous experience in destabilizing sovereign governments, control most social media[...]. To understand what is happening in Georgia we must go back more than 20 years, when the US decided to inject huge amounts of money to form political puppets and indoctrinate the civil society to cause regime changes favorable to the US in the former Soviet republics. If Georgian authorities can’t solve this crisis in the coming days, it is highly likely that a new puppet government will appear in this key point of the Caucasus, willing to comply with US and NATO orders. After the Georgian government decided to withdraw the bill that caused the protests, the agenda of the protesters immediately changed: as in Ukraine 9 years ago, they now demand the resignation of the government.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about foreign-led ‘colour revolutions’ and Ukraine’s Maidan protests.Framing all popular protests against Russia’s interests as a foreign-led ‘colour revolution’ is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative. There is zero evidence to back any of these allegations. In fact, Georgia’s protests seem to be driven by strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media, and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association. Contrary to what this disinformation story claims, there is no trace of foreign interference in these protests.Allegations about Ukraine’s Maidan protests as a foreign-sponsored regime change operation have been debunked many times by EUvsDisinfo (see for example here).See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the West arranges puppet governments through colour revolutions, that Kyiv regime came to power as a result of illegal coup organized by the West, that after Ukraine, western scriptwriters tried to organize coups d’etat in Belarus and Kazakhstan, or that colour revolutions provoked by the US and NATO created migration crisis.

Colour revolutions, Protest

13.03.2023

Ukraine and the US army planning a provocation with biomaterials

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-and-the-us-army-planning-a-provocation-with-biomaterials

actualidad-rt.com

Ukraine, US

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, US

US biological laboratories remain operative, as shown by a series of documents in the hands of the Russian army. Kyiv and the Pentagon are coordinating fresh attacks with dangerous pathogens with the goal of incriminating Moscow.

There is no evidence backing the claim about US and Ukraine’s preparation of a provocative action with biological materials, nor wider allegations about “US biolabs”. The ultimate goal of this disinformation story is to promote a years-long baseless narrative about US bio-laboratories for military purposes, falsely portraying US-funded research facilities in Ukraine and other countries as military sites, as pro-Kremlin disinformation deliberately blurred the line between biological weapons and biological research.This disinformation campaign has been repeatedly debunked, including by the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, but pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities continue promoting it with growing intensity since 2022 to justify Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Russia presented evidence of US biolabs in Ukraine at the convention on biological weapons, that new evidence of US military-biological activity emerged in Ukraine, that disease outbreaks in Ukraine are linked to the activity of US biolabs, that Zelenskyy ordered the destruction of evidence regarding the development of biological weapons, or that bio-experiments in US labs turned Ukrainian soldiers into ‘most cruel monsters’.

12.03.2023

The West intends to push Romania’s take-over of Moldova to distract Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-intends-to-push-romanias-take-over-of-moldova-to-distract-russia

АТН: новости Беларуси и мира

Moldova, Romania, Russia

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Moldova, Romania, Russia

Romania is no longer concealing its ambitions to get Moldova. The western geopolitical strategies are using the ambitions of Bucharest to recreate the Greater Romania project. The main goal is to fraction Russia’s attention over various chess boards.

The article promotes recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the belligerent West trying to encircle and endager Russia. Romania adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries including Moldova and Ukraine and rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. Russian and pro-Kremlin media outlets often portray factual or imaginary socio-political events in various countries as instances of Western plot directed against Russia. Earlier they alleged, among other things, that Nato escalated the situation in Kosovo to distract Russia from Ukraine and that the social unrest in Kazakhstan in 2022 was meant to divert Russia’s attention before negotiations. One article spoke about the coordinated actions of Western governments and a variety of local actors in the Central Asian countries in their pursuit of anti-Russian activities.See our article on the recent Russian psychological pressure on Moldova here.

12.03.2023

The Zelenskyy regime began a new stage of persecution of Ukrainian Orthodox Church

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-zelenskyy-regime-began-a-new-stage-of-persecution-of-ukrainian-orthodox-church

russtrat.ru

Ukraine

Russian

The Zelenskyy regime has begun a new stage of persecution of the UOC. An ultimatum was put forward to the monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra - to leave the monastery by March 29. The destruction of one of the largest sacred centres has begun.Desecration of one of the main Orthodox shrines is very risky for the Kyiv regime, but American curators are pushing it to the point of no return. They consider the defeat of the canonical church as a landmark event of "joining the new civilisation of the West". Only the fall of Zelenskyy himself and his clique can save canonical Orthodoxy.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying Ukraine as an enemy of the Orthodox Church. The unfounded claim that Ukraine, under the dictation of the United States, is fighting the Orthodox Church was made in the context of Russia's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.There is no persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In late 2022, the Ukrainian government announced a law banning churches affiliated with Russia, following a series of investigations related to parishes that Kyiv says could be taking orders from Moscow. This mostly affected the activities of the so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate [UOC-MP] in Ukraine, which is affiliated with Russia and considered a key influence tool for Moscow in the country, and whose leadership has voiced its full support for the Russian war on Ukraine including siding closely with Putin, blessing soldiers and Russian guns and offering the church's support.Spravdi, the Centre for Strategic Communications under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, has explained why the government decided to ban the activities of UOC-MP. Spravdi found that in the churches of the UOC-MP, Russian propaganda was being spread; activities of enemy secret services were being covered and Russian agents were being recruited.The Ukrainian government does not plan to ban Orthodoxy. The parishes of the UOC-MP are free to switch to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which far from being a “pseudo-religious institution”, as this disinformation story claims, received the tomos of autocephaly in January 2019. It is also the most popular Orthodox church in Ukraine: 78% of Orthodox believers claim their allegiance to the church. Moreover, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was not seized by Ukraine or the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In fact, it is state property. It is managed by the National Kyiv-Pechersk History and Culture Preserve. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church had only been renting it until 31 December, 2022, when its rental contract expired and a part of the premises was returned to the direct management of the state.Read similar cases claiming that Kyiv wants to exchange its Satanists for Orthodox priests, that Borrell's remarks on Russian patriarch give Kyiv 'sanction' to persecute canonical church that the West wants to destroy Eastern Christianity through the war in Ukraine, that Persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church aims to open the way for neopaganism in Ukraine and that the Kyiv regime is destroying the canonical Orthodox church.

Religion, Orthodox Church, Volodymyr Zelensky, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

12.03.2023

Kyiv’s words that Moscow is unwilling to hold talks are a big lie

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kyivs-words-that-moscow-is-unwilling-to-hold-talks-are-a-big-lie

tass.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU

Russian

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba’s words that Moscow is unwilling to hold talks are a big lie. It is Kyiv which has passed legislation banning talks with Russia.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine does not seek a peaceful solution.Neither the citizens of Ukraine nor the government of Ukraine wanted this war. Russia had been preparing for this war in 2021, moving its equipment and military personnel to the Ukrainian border. On February 24 2022, the Russian army crossed the borders of Ukraine violating its territorial integrity yet again in a full-scale invasion. It was Vladimir Putin's decision.The Kremlin has accompanied its military invasion by a PR-campaign where de facto demands for Ukraine's capitulation and surrender are branded as "peace proposals". See our article reviewing 2021-2022 developments here.In December 2022, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a 10-point peace plan but Russia rejected it. The plan called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and the cessation of hostilities, restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, global food security, radiation safety, etc.Ukrainians overwhelmingly support the decisions of the Ukrainian government. Most of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine must restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also support NATO and EU integration. More than 95% of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine will achieve victory.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Ukraine has become a private military company of NATO, that Ukraine is forced to fight on behalf of NATO, that the West is using Ukrainians to fight against Russia, or that Europe doesn’t support peace negotiations in Ukraine because of US pressure.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

11.03.2023

Western Ukraine will be safe if it comes under the protection of Poland: Mateusz Morawiecki

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/pwestern-ukraine-will-be-safe-if-it-comes-under-the-protection-of-poland-mateusz-morawiecki

ru.armeniasputnik.am,Sputnik Armenia

Poland, Ukraine

Russian

The exorbitant geopolitical appetite of Poland, claiming to be world or at least European leader, causes astonishment, turning to rejection. In Ukraine, because of Warsaw's intention to seize the western regions of Ukraine; in the West - due to irritation with its arrogance.If one believes the words of a critic of the Polish ruling party, an invasion of Ukraine is allegedly scheduled for May 4 this year. It is also possible to intercept someone else's territories under a milder reason - the pretext of "temporarily transferring" the territories of Western Ukraine to Poland, allegedly for the purpose of more reliable protection. "The western territories of Ukraine will be safe if they temporarily come under the protection of the Polish state," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki promises.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative presenting Poland as having imperial ambitions and claims to Ukrainian territories. This is part of a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying the statehood of Ukraine, while also anticipating its imminent disintegration.The Polish government did not call for the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. On 6 February, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told that "Poland had been pressing its Western partners to support Kyiv from the very start of the war in Ukraine, advocating for both military and humanitarian assistance". He also stated that it is necessary to help Ukraine win the war against Russia and to build a new security architecture in the political, geopolitical, economic and energy dimensions.Since the beginning of the invasion, Russian propaganda has deliberately and frequently repeated lies about alleged Polish attempts to invade western Ukraine. Recently, they have been promoting the thesis of an allegedly supposed "protectorate". On Channel One Russia, the programme of the famous propagandist Anatoly Kuzichev "Vremya pokazhet" a group of propagandists went so far as to discuss the completely made-up words of the Polish prime minister. They also put forward anti-Polish theories to quarrel with the peoples of Poland and Ukraine, and to distort the image of the war. Polish PM Morawiecki has never proposed to the Ukrainian President to temporarily transfer Western Ukraine to Poland. This false claim originates from a satirical story which was originally distributed in a Telegram channel. Read the full debunk at Myth Detector.Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, it does not have any territorial claims against its neighbours and it rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. Read more about the Eastern policy of Poland here.See also an analysis of the roots of the claim that Poland wants to divide Ukraine.See other similar examples of disinformation: Poland recognised it has a plan to divide Ukraine; the US may give Western Ukraine to Poland if Warsaw pays Kyiv's debt to the US; Polish politicians confirm their plan to partition Ukraine; the Polish Public Broadcaster uses a map of the country with part of Western Ukraine; Polish authorities are preparing a "liberation march" to take over Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Imperialism/colonialism, Ukrainian statehood, Ukrainian disintegration

11.03.2023

The US is trying to destroy Europe by closing border crossings with Belarus

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-trying-to-destroy-europe-by-closing-border-crossings-with-belarus

pl.sputniknews.com

US, EU, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Poland

Polish

No matter how, the Americans will try to destroy Europe, also using this nasty method [of closing border crossings with Belarus]. Europe and Poland will have to recall their decisions on closed border crossings with Belarus. The actions of Poland, which consistently limits the functioning of border checkpoints with Belarus, are unacceptable to many countries, including the EU members. Even the Germans categorically reject the Polish actions on the border with Belarus. Belarus suffers the least from these actions, which seriously hit China, Kazakhstan and even Turkey and the Arab Emirates.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about alleged lost sovereignty of the EU and its member states (more examples). Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet states or colonies of the US and NATO.On 9 February 2023, the Polish authorities decided to close one of the border crossing points with Belarus (Bobrowniki) as a reaction to the sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut (a Polish-Belarusian journalist) to eight years in jail for alleged extremist activities. Recently, Lithuania closed the Stasily-Beniakonie railway crossing with Belarus because of the active cigarette smuggling taking place through this crossing.The Polish authorities have repeatedly stated that their main concern with Belarus is the intense violation of human rights by the Belarusian authorities, which includes large-scale political repressions, pressure on the activists of the Polish minority and intense intimidation of Belarusian society. Poland supports free and democratic elections in Belarus – only the Belarusians can decide about their future.See EUvsDisinfo's special section on Belarus.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that EU and NATO member states are subordinate to the US, while the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate, that lined up with the US, the EU never took independent decisions and the Poland and Lithuania keep provoking Belarus by closing border crossing points.

Alexander Lukashenko, Sovereignty, Puppets, EU disintegration, US presence in Europe

10.03.2023

The protests in Georgia were organised by the United States

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-protests-in-georgia-were-organised-by-the-united-states

sputnik-ossetia.ru

Georgia, US

Russian

The US authorities organised a popular protest against this law [on "Foreign Agents"] in order to prevent it from being adopted. They feared that this law would reveal a huge number of Western organisations on the territory of Georgia, acting in the interests of foreign states.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about foreign-led ‘colour revolutions’ and Ukraine’s Maidan protests.Framing all popular protests against Russia’s interests as a foreign-led ‘colour revolution’ is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative. There is no evidence given to back any of these allegations. In fact, Georgia’s protests are driven by strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media, and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association. The bill could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN.The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia, that Protests in Georgia are attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan, that Protests in Georgia orchestrated from abroad, that The West obstructs Georgia’s attempt to become an independent state, or that Foreign agents in Georgia exploit naïve protesters for regime change.

Protest, Coup, Colour revolutions, Sovereignty

10.03.2023

Protests in Georgia are attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/protests-in-georgia-are-attempt-to-forcibly-change-power-resembling-euromaidan

sputnik-georgia.ru,geworld.ge,tass.ru,russian.rt.com,iz.ru,regnum.ru,Kommersant,rg.ru,crimea.ria.ru,news.ru,RBC.ruShow more

Georgia

Russian, Georgian

Protests in Georgia are reminiscent of the Kyiv Maidan and are an attempt to forcibly change power.There is no doubt that the rallies against the law on “foreign agents” were just an excuse to start an attempt to change power in Georgia by force. These protests are "orchestrated from the outside", and those who do this are guided by the desire to create an irritant at the Russian borders.

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolutions, portraying popular protests in the former Soviet republics as Western-instigated coup d'état.There is no evidence that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power. Massive protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organizations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”. Many protesters saw the draft law as a legal step being inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Further, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” bill after the ruling party withdrew support.The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray as a coup d’état the Euromaidan revolution. The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was a reaction by numerous segments of the Ukrainian population to former president Viktor Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013.Read a similar disinformation case claiming that The US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia.

Colour revolutions, Euromaidan, Protest, West, Coup

10.03.2023

Like Euromaidan, the Georgia protests were orchestrated from abroad

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/like-euromaidan-the-georgia-protests-were-orchestrated-from-abroad

RT English

Georgia

English

The protests that have gripped Georgia over the past week closely resemble the 2014 Maidan coup in Ukraine. Backed by external powers, the protests are just another plot attempt.

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative alleging the undue influence of Western governments in the post-Soviet space; framing all manifestations of popular discontent in the region as manufactured elsewhere, and painting entire nations as pathologically Russophobic.There is no evidence that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power. Massive protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organizations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”.Many protesters saw the draft law as a legal step being inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Further, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray as a coup d’état the Euromaidan revolution. The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was a reaction by numerous segments of the Ukrainian population to former president Viktor Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013.Read a similar disinformation case claiming that the US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia.

Coup, Russophobia, Anti-Russian, Sphere of influence, US presence in Europe

10.03.2023

The West wages life-or-death struggle against Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-wages-life-or-death-struggle-against-russia

tass.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU

Russian

Extremely aggressive expressions are used against Russia, extremely aggressive rhetoric and actions, which are expressed primarily in illegal unprecedented sanctions. [These] show that the West has really decided that this is a war not for life, but for death.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of an aggressive stance against Russia. This claim was made in the context of Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.The Western nations and other allies support Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s justified self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Some of the countries that help Ukraine with training, arms and ammunition are also NATO member states, but the Alliance as an organisation is not arming Ukraine. Ukrainian military officials have frequent contacts with their NATO counterparts, but NATO troops are not directly involved in hostilities on the front.The EU imposed restrictive measures on Moscow in 2014, which have been amplified and broadened since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, but the West has never strived to destroy Russia. The EU imposed the tenth package of sanctions on Russia in February 2023. These measures came as a response to Moscow’s aggressive policies. Ukraine and its Western partners have been calling for talks and a diplomatic solution to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Russia has been reluctant to engage in constructive talks and is putting forward unacceptable and its aggression rewarding conditions.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that HRVP Josep Borrell wants to destroy Russia, US and NATO fighting proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and The EU adopted another package of illegitimate sanctions against Russia.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Sanctions, Anti-Russian

10.03.2023

Washington using Georgia to open a second front against Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/washington-using-georgia-to-open-a-second-front-against-russia

raialyoum.com,kachaf.com,arabic.rt.com

Russia, Georgia, US, Europe

Arabic

In March 2023, a draft Foreign Influence Transparency law was sent to the Georgian Parliament, which requires NGOs to register as “agents of foreign influence” if their foreign funding is more than 20% of their total income.This sparked protests from supporters of the Georgian opposition parties funded by the US and Europe. Washington is not only trying to push Georgia to a specific path, but it is also seeking to open a second front in the American war against Russia.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about foreign-led protests and Russia as the ultimate target of international events. The claim was not supported with evidence.Framing all popular protests against Russia’s interests as foreign-led is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative. The claim that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power is not supported by evidence. Georgia’s protests were driven by a strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media, and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the West arranges puppet governments through colour revolutions, or that colour revolutions provoked by the US and NATO created migration crisis.

Protest, Destabilising Russia, Encircling Russia

09.03.2023

The EU is doomed because the US is playing against it

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-is-doomed-because-the-us-is-playing-against-it

sputnik.by

Russia, US, Germany, Ukraine

Russian

The January 2022 leak of a document titled "America's survival, Germany's weakening" revealed that only a serious economic crisis in the EU and Germany can save the US. To provoke a crisis, Germany's ties with Russian energy need to be cut off, and Germany and Russia need to be in conflict over Ukraine. Without this, Europe will become a periphery.

Recurring disinformation about the EU's disintegration and bleak prospects and war in Ukraine. The case is also implicitly related to the issue of Western sanctions on Russia, with the EU being presented as a victim and puppet of the US, which wants to destroy the economy of Europe for its own benefit. See our analysis of the Kremlin's claims about the EU's lost sovereignty.Pro-Kremlin media have repeatedly disseminated stories claiming the US planned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis, citing a fabricated document allegedly produced by the RAND Corporation and made public via a leak – a conspiracy previously debunked by StopFake and Myth Detector. See our earlier disinformation case dedicated to this story.The EU and other countries around the world adopted several sanction packages against Russia due to its illegal aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories. Read this summary of the EU’s response to assist Ukraine one year after large-scale Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.According to preliminary data from the European Commission, growth in the EU and the euro area is estimated at 3.5% for 2022, which is said to be “quite outstanding outturns, proving the remarkable resilience of the EU economy to the headwinds unleashed by Russia's war against Ukraine and in particular the energy crisis”.See other similar examples of disinformation alleging that the US is destroying industry in Europe by forcing Brussels to sanction Russia, that Western sanctions on Russian energy jeopardize the global economy, and that the US has destroyed German economy.

War in Ukraine, Conspiracy theory, Sovereignty, Economic difficulties, EU disintegration

09.03.2023

NATO's next target is a coup in Georgia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/natos-next-target-is-a-coup-in-georgia

lantidiplomatico.it

Georgia, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, US

Italian

Current demonstrations in Georgia were inspired by US and EU agents. At present, it is impossible to predict whether the Georgian government will be able to resist, or whether it will be a new edition of the US and NATO-led coups that took place in Yugoslavia, Ukraine and other countries.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolutions, portraying popular protests in the former Soviet republics as Western-instigated coup d'état.There is no evidence that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power. Massive protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”.Many protesters saw the draft law as a legal step inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Further, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” bill after the ruling party withdrew support.Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia and Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Pro-Kremlin outlets persistently portray the Euromaidan revolution as a coup d’état. The spontaneous onset of the protests was a reaction by numerous segments of the Ukrainian population to former president Viktor Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013.Read similar cases claiming that the US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia, that protests in Georgia are attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan and that Bernard-Henri Lévy was involved in the coups d’états in Yugoslavia, Ukraine, and now Belarus

Coup, Euromaidan, West, Colour revolutions

09.03.2023

Poland continues its gradual seizure of Western Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/poland-continues-its-gradual-seizure-of-western-ukraine

pl.sputniknews.com

Poland, Ukraine, Russia

Polish

The construction of a Polish military training ground in western Ukraine will draw Warsaw into a conflict in this country. A Polish company Lubawa is constructing a field training centre for 600 Ukrainian soldiers in the Ukrainian region of Volyn. This construction takes place on the background of direct Polish involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, which does not bother anyone in Warsaw and Kyiv. All the military facilities in Ukraine are legitimate targets for the Russian Army. Poland continues its gradual seizure of Ukrainian territory. In reality, Warsaw is preparing infrastructure in order to increase the size of the Polish military unit fighting in this country (Polish Volunteer Legion), which will be deployed at the base. This unit is created to control the actions of the authorities and protect law and order in the territories of western Ukraine.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative challenging Ukraine’s statehood and presenting Poland as a state with imperial ambitions. Apart from smearing Poland, the aim is also to deflect attention away from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.This disinformation message has adopted several different and sometimes contradictory forms, including allegations that Poland either wants to create a puppet proxy-state in Western Ukraine or annex these territories or that it is President Zelenskyy who wants to cede this land due to his “Polish origin”.A limited number of Polish citizens have joined the official Ukrainian Army as volunteers – these people do not have any anti-Ukrainian plans. Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries and it rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. Poland, as well as the EU and the US, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity.Read more about the Eastern policy of Poland here.See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland thinks that Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and South-Western Lithuania belongs to it, that Poland wants to dismember Ukraine and re-establish a Polish empire, that Ukraine is a Western colony belonging to Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Russia, that Poland will try to gain full military control in Ukrainian territories under the guise of protecting the Polish population from Russia or that Poland plans to establish control over its historical lands in Ukraine.

Maria Zakharova, War in Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood, Ukrainian disintegration, Military, mercenaries, Foreign mercenaries, Territorial dispute

08.03.2023

The West is taking revenge on Georgia by supporting the protests

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-is-taking-revenge-on-georgia-by-supporting-the-protests

news.ru

Georgia

Russian

Western countries support protesters against the adoption of the law on foreign agents in Georgia to take revenge on the country's authorities for their refusal to impose sanctions against Russia and support Ukraine.

Disinformation around the March 2023 protests in Georgia claiming that the collective West is escalating the protests because the Garibashvili government does not join it in sanctioning Russia. This case also fits the recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolutions, portraying popular protests as Western-instigated coup d'état.There is no evidence that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power. Massive protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”.The protesters recognized that the draft law was inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Further, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” draft law after the ruling party withdrew support.Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that the US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia, that protests in Georgia are attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan, that protests in Georgia are orchestrated from abroad, that the West obstructs Georgia’s attempt to become an independent state, or that foreign agents in Georgia exploit naïve protesters for regime change.

West, Protest, Coup, Colour revolutions, Sanctions, Invasion of Ukraine

08.03.2023

The US behind protests in Georgia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-behind-protests-in-georgia

tsargrad.tv,Ukraina.ru

Georgia, US

Russian

Georgian political scientist revealed the reason for the protests in Tbilisi. According to the expert, everything that is happening is a consequence of regular American directives. On Tuesday, thousands of people protested in Tbilisi over the adoption in the first reading of the Georgian version of the American law on foreign agents. However, political scientist Shota Apkhaidze believes that everything was planned in advance by the United States, which simply implemented their ideas through Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili.

This is a common pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about lost sovereignty and independence, challenging Georgian statehood and portraying popular protests as instigated from abroad.There is no evidence that the recent protests in Georgia were planned by the US to destabilise the country. Contrary to the allegations, massive protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill that requires organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”. The draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states. Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia and Hong Kong with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.

West, Colour revolutions, Protest

08.03.2023

The West demonizes Vladimir Putin and closed the way to negotiations in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-demonizes-vladimir-putin-and-closed-the-way-to-negotiations-in-ukraine

Laivaslaikrastis.lt

Russia, Ukraine

Lithuanian

The West demonizes Vladimir Putin. It is creating a barrier to potential negotiations in Ukraine. This Western evaluation of Russia and its leader is making any diplomatic solution impossible.

Presenting the West as an anti-Russian coalition participating in the war in Ukraine.Western countries emphasize the personal responsibility of the president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. As stressed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borell: “President Putin and his government started a war against an independent, sovereign neighbouring country. The behaviour of the Russian leadership constitutes a major threat to international peace and security.”The question of personal Putin’s responsibility for the war crimes of the Russian army was raised too.As far as peace negotiations are concerned, the EU Council Conclusions of 09 February 2023 state unequivocally:"Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with its steadfast support for as long as it takes."The EU supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace, including:- President Zelenskyy’s peace formula- Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan- a peace formula summit.At the same time, the West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.See more cases of disinformation claiming that the West waging a war against Russia or is involved in a war in Ukraine: The West has one goal: to eliminate Russia; Fifty countries are trying to wipe Russia off the Earth; Biden’s visit to Kyiv proves that the West is a direct party in the Ukrainian war.

West, Vladimir Putin, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

08.03.2023

EU High Representative knew in advance about riots in Georgia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/eu-high-representative-knew-in-advance-about-riots-in-georgia

news.ru

EU, Georgia

Russian

Josep Borrell, head of the EU's diplomat service, who declared that the Georgian bill was inconsistent with European values, knew in advance about the impending riots.

An unsubstantiated pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative around the March 2023 protests in Georgia claiming that collective West is escalating the protests. It fits into a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolutions, portraying popular protests as Western-instigated coup d'état.There is no evidence to support the claims that the EU’s HR/VP Josep Borrell knew in advance about the impending riots in Georgia. Massive protests in Tbilisi were a reaction to the Georgian parliament passing the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”. The draft law has been criticised for mirroring a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media. The draft law caused fears that it could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association and could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN.The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.Read similar disinformation cases claiming that the US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia, that protests in Georgia are attempt to forcibly change power, resembling Euromaidan, that protests in Georgia are orchestrated from abroad, that the West obstructs Georgia’s attempt to become an independent state, or that foreign agents in Georgia exploit naïve protesters for regime change.

Josep Borrell, Colour revolutions, West, Protest

08.03.2023

The West supports neo-Nazis in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-west-supports-neo-nazis-in-ukraine

LDiena.lt

Ukraine

Lithuanian

Western support for Ukraine is losing common sense. It provides indulgence for any decision of the Ukrainian authorities and the army. The West also supported anti-Putin neo-Nazis from “The Russian Volunteer Corps” in this way.

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the West’s support for the allegedly Nazi regime in Kyiv. With this narrative, the Kremlin aims to de-legitimize Western support for Ukraine.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Whilst it is true that "The Russian Volunteer Corps" has some links to far-right ideology, there is no information that any Western country supported them directly. They consist of a number of volunteers from different countries fighting against Russia's aggression on the side of Ukraine.The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our article Twelve-myths-about-Russia's war in Ukraine exposed.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives: Biden promised loyalty to the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv; West turned a blind eye to Nazism; Russia fights against Ukrainian neo-Nazis guilty of ethnic cleansing.

West, Nazi/Fascist, War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

08.03.2023

The Russian special military operation in Ukraine uncovered US biological laboratories

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-russian-special-military-operation-in-ukraine-uncovered-us-biological-laboratories

lantidiplomatico.it

US, Russia, Ukraine

Italian

The Russian special military operation in Ukraine uncovered US biological laboratories located on the territory of the former Soviet republic and revealed how the Russian-Ukrainian war was Washington's goal from the beginning. This was confirmed by Stoltenberg himself.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US producing biological weapons in Ukraine and about the war in Ukraine, portraying the US and NATO as alleged aggressors. Both narratives aim to shift attention away from Russia's responsibility for its war on Ukraine and its full-scale invasion.The narrative of the biological labs is promoted not only via media channels, but also in the context of Russia's membership of international organisations. Russia repeatedly claimed that the United States have a biological weapons programme in Ukrainian labs, the country even demanded the UN Security Council to investigate them.At a meeting on this topic in March 2022, Izumi Nakamitsu, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, informed the Security Council saying that “the UN is not aware of any biological weapons programme being conducted in Ukraine”. Both the US and Ukraine have denied that any such programme would be operated.Ukraine does have a network of biological labs, even such financially supported from the US. But they are owned and operated by Ukraine and are part of an initiative called the Biological Threat Reduction Program. The Program aims to reduce the threat of outbreaks not just in Ukraine, but also in Eastern Europe and in the Caucuses. Its focus is not the development of biological weapons. The research was done in collaboration with neighbouring countries, as well as the World Health Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.The claim that Stoltenberg admitted that a Russia-Ukraine war Washington's goal is baseless. Read similar cases claiming that new evidence of US military-biological activity in Ukraine; the US has biological military activity in dozens of countries that the US created COVID-19 and biological weapons in Ukraine and that the West is using Ukrainians to fight against Russia.

NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, War in Ukraine, laboratory

07.03.2023

The leaks about Nord Stream attack are a distraction, the real perpetrator is the US

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-leaks-about-nord-stream-attack-are-a-distraction-the-real-perpetrator-is-the-us

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Russia, US, Germany, Norway

Hungarian

The leaks about the Nord Stream terrorist attacks in the Western media are being allowed by those who do not want a legal investigation and plan to distract readers from the facts. The Western regimes involved in the incident should respond to official requests from the Russian side and deal with the materials of the investigation by the American journalist Seymour Hersh, not replace them with anonymous outbursts.According to Hersh, the decision to carry out the operation was taken by US President Joe Biden after nine months of discussions with administration officials responsible for national security matters.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The article can’t be considered an evidence of this: it is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog, so no editorial team was involved in its preparation.The central parts of its affirmations have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions).Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction.’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven.The story has received great attention from pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation.Presenting unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream, that American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, or that sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years.

Nord Stream 2, Terrorism, US presence in Europe, Mainstream media

07.03.2023

Launch of the EU mission in Armenia is an anti-Russian move

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/launch-of-the-eu-mission-in-armenia-is-an-anti-russian-move

news.am,eadaily.com,panorama.am,ru.armeniasputnik.am,Sputnik Armenia,tlgrm.ru

Armenia, EU, Russia, Azerbaijan

Armenian, Russian

The launch of the EU mission in Armenia is an attempt by Brussels to gain a foothold in the post-Soviet space, playing the role of an "intermediary", taking advantage of the results achieved with the mediation of Russia in the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalisation․There is also a significant anti-Russian component here – the desire to neutralise its historical role as a guarantor of security.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia as the ultimate target of international events, accusing the West of having an anti-Russian agenda in the Caucasus and CIS countries. The article advances the claim that the Caucasus is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempts to discredit the recently announced EU mission in Armenia (EUMA).The claim attempts to pre-empt Russia's weakening position in the region.Contrary to the claim, the EU has a strong interest in a politically stable and economically prosperous Southern Caucasus, but the regional context is not easy. The EU continues to express its support to efforts towards the promotion of peace in South Caucasus, including through the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia. To cautiously create a base for confidence-building and dialogue in the fresh post-war environment the EU has come up with a number of programmes (EU4Peace, EU4Dialogue, EU4Culture).The European Council agreed to establish a civilian European Union Mission in Armenia under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The objective of the mission is to contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, building confidence on the ground, and ensure an environment conducive to normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan.In response to Armenia’s request, EUMA will conduct routine patrolling and report on the situation, which will strengthen the EU’s understanding of the situation on the ground. The Mission will also contribute to the mediation efforts in the framework of the process led by President of the European Council Charles Michel.The decision to deploy the EU monitors on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan was made after the September 2022 escalation, when Azerbaijan attacked Armenia and occupied Armenian territories.See similar disinfo cases in our database: Brussels wants to squeeze Russia out of the Caucasus; The EU and the OSCE are in the Caucasus to further drive a wedge in relations between the CSTO members; the West aims to oust Russia of Transcaucasia.

Encircling Russia, Anti-Russian, Caucasus, European Union, Nagorno-Karabakh

07.03.2023

The kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia is an absurd hoax

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-kidnapping-of-ukrainian-children-by-russia-is-an-absurd-hoax

Sputnik on Twitter,Sputnik on Twitter,fr.sputniknews.africa

Russia, Ukraine

French

Information currently circulating [on the "forced re-education" of Ukrainian children in Western media is based on a report published by researchers from Yale University as part of a programme funded by the US State Department. This program has a clearly stated objective: "to hold Russia accountable" for the crimes attributed to it by the White House.The study refers to the alleged practice of kidnapping Ukrainian children under the pretext of evacuating them to Russia, and then re-educated in certain "camps". Emphasis is placed on the word "camp" to conjure up associations with Nazi concentration camps, but little mention is made of the fact that these are in fact summer vacation camps, where children are placed in comfortable conditions.Videos showing cheerful children welcomed into the camp were also taken as evidence of the mentioned abductions, as it seemed to the report's authors that it was a "well staged spectacle". The researchers also used satellite images […]. It is a mystery, however, how the authors were able to tell, from these images, that children were "re-educated" or forcibly locked up.

Classic denial of war crimes committed by the Russian armed forces and the Russian federal administration. Contrary to the information about the report of the conflict observatory from Yale University being the only source of information on this story, there are many other sources not funded by the US State Department. In any case, the conflict observatory publishes factual information that is verified through an established methodology (page 22 of the report). Most of the information used is quoted, open sourced and can be independently checked (pages 24 to 34).Filippo Grande UN High Commissioner for Refugees declared that “Giving [Ukraine’s children Russian] nationality or having them adopted goes against the fundamental principles of child protection in situations of war....This is something that is happening in Russia and must not happen.” Ukraine offers a platform to centralise information on children: Children of War, it therefore helps children to rejoin their families.French TV journalists from BFM filmed the testimonies of Ukrainian families, children and adopting families in Russia in the documentary film Ukraine, the stolen children. The NGO save Ukraine managed to repatriate 120 children from occupied territories and 50 from Russia.The abduction and forced transportation of Ukrainian children to Russia has been documented by the UN, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International. Ukraine has already reported the actions of Russia's children’s ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova to the International Criminal Court (ICC). On 01 March, Poland launched a joint initiative with the European Commission to trace Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.On 02 March, International Criminal Court Prosecutor, Karim Khan decided to seek authorisation to open an investigation into the situation in Ukraine. It includes within its scope any past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on any part of the territory of Ukraine by any person.On 4 March EU Commission President von der Leyen declared « Torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence, and summary executions are known to have been committed by Russian forces. Not even children are being spared. Russia must be held accountable for these horrific crimes. Putin must be held accountable.“See also our article ‘Blessed’ are the ‘evacuated’.Read also related cases: Russia hits only military targets in Ukraine, Ukraine war crimes tribunal will be illegitimate.

Stealing children, children, Invasion of Ukraine, Genocide, War in Ukraine, Ukraine, Russian world, fake news, Media, Russophobia, West, war crimes

07.03.2023

The US is behind the war in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-behind-the-war-in-ukraine

oroszhirek.hu

China, Ukraine, Russia, US

Hungarian

China believes that an invisible hand is pushing the conflict towards further protraction and escalation, and is trying to use the Ukraine crisis for geopolitical ends. This is not an invisible hand, in fact, this hand is very visible. This is the hand of the United States, the hand of Washington. Washington does not want this war to end, Washington wants and will do everything to ensure that this war continues.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukrainian statehood and the war in Ukraine.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to help Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s attack, but they are not involved in direct fighting. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Western instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use modern weaponry and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front. This support allows the Ukrainian armed forces to continue defending the country against the Russian aggression.Furthermore Ukraine is independent country, that has an independent foreign and security policy, which is not dictated by the United States. Pro-Kremlin outlets often use this narrative of different countries being under the American thumb or as so-called 'Western puppets', to imply that their national sovereignty is under threat and that they have limited power. The narrative also hides a cynical disregard for ordinary people; for their free will and ability to express political desires for the countries in which they are citizens. See similar narratives here: the US is preparing a ram against Russia, Ukraine has become a vassal of Germany, Ukraine is under the external control of the US and EU, Ukraine is under external control, Ukraine is a toy of the US and NATO used for geopolitical pressure on Moscow .

Invasion of Ukraine, Puppets, US presence in Europe

07.03.2023

Kyiv disregards the lives of its soldiers and civilians

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kyiv-disregards-the-lives-of-its-soldiers-and-civilians

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, Ukraine

Hungarian

NATO's support for Kyiv does not lead to success for Ukrainian troops in combat. On the contrary, the losses of the Ukrainian armed forces have increased dramatically. The indifference of the Kyiv regime to its own people, which, to please its Western clients, does not care about the huge loss of life, is astonishing. Russia continues to prioritise the preservation of the lives and integrity of personnel and civilians.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation aiming to discredit Ukraine and Western military aid.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to help Ukraine to defend itself but they are not involved in direct fighting. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Western instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use modern weaponry and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front. This support allows the Ukrainian armed forces to continue defending the country against the Russian aggression. Furthermore Ukraine is a sovereign country, with a democratically elected government and it is not under the influence of foreign powers.The claim that Ukraine disregards human lives while Russia protects them, is part of a wider narrative to downplay Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and civilian residential areas. Contrary to these claims, the UN has recorded at least 21,793 civilian casualties since the latest armed conflict began on 24 February, including 8,173 killed and 13,620 injured. However, the exact figures are likely to be much higher as ongoing hostilities have hindered the authorities’ ability to verify possible cases in many parts of the country.Most of the civilian casualties are from airstrikes and explosive weapons used by Russian forces with wide area effects, including heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems. As a result, hundreds of residential buildings in many cities, including Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mariupol and Kyiv have been damaged and destroyed.See similar narratives debunked here.

NATO, Puppets, Military, War in Ukraine

07.03.2023

The European Union is not interested in de-escalation in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-european-union-is-not-interested-in-de-escalation-in-ukraine

baltnews.com

EU, Ukraine

Russian

The countries of the European Union are not interested to stop the military confrontation in Ukraine. It shows their strong support for Kyiv. The supply of Ukraine by armory shows that the West is not interested in de-escalation.

The narrative accuses the EU of direct involvement in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.The EU Council Conclusions of 09 February 2023 state unequivocally:"Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with its steadfast support for as long as it takes."The EU supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace, including:- President Zelenskyy’s peace formula- Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan- a peace formula summit.The European Union or the West are not part of the war in Ukraine and is not responsible for potential de-escalation. Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.See other similar cases in our database: NATO is party to Ukraine conflict; The USA and NATO push the EU to war by supplying tanks to Ukraine; Western statements on more arms to Ukraine lead to escalation.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine

07.03.2023

Serbia-Kosovo agreement is actually an extortion

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/serbia-kosovo-agreement-is-actually-an-extortion

t.me

Kosovo, EU, Serbia

Russian

Serbia reached an agreement with Kosovo, but it’s unclear if it can be called ‘agreement’, ‘negotiation’, ‘dialogue’, as the EU and Mr. Borrell always do, or it should be called ‘extortion’. Because Serbia’s president said that he won’t recognise Kosovo, either mutually or at the UN, but he also said that Serbia received a lot of pressures in this negotiations or to sign a document on this agreement. If they didn’t agree, they won’t receive funds or its EU membership would be questioned. This is the EU diplomacy lately: union and extortion.

This is a deliberate distortion of facts, part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign about Kosovo, aiming to undermine the European Union’s mediation efforts in this conflict by portraying them under a negative light.The European Union presented both sides with a proposal for normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, to which both of them agreed on principle. Further meetings between Kosovar and Serbian leaders are scheduled to specify the details on the implementation of the plan. In contrast to what this disinformation story implies, the EU document doesn’t call for Serbia to recognize Kosovo, and in fact Serbian leadership has been adamant on his rejection of some aspects of the plan, such as Kosovo’s admission to the UN. Therefore, the EU’s mediation hardly qualifies as “extortion”.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that NATO deliberately worsens the situation in Kosovo to blackmail Serbia as it did with the Maidan in Ukraine, that Kosovo’s EU application is a breach of the Washington agreement, that the EU wants to expand its imperialism in the Balkans or that the West is an accomplice of the ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo.

European Union, Kosovo, Imperialism/colonialism

07.03.2023

Ukrainians turned into animals

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukrainians-turned-into-animals

Rossiya 1

Ukraine, Germany

Russian

The question is how the Germans, the entire German nation, great culture, literature under Hitler turned into Nazis, racists, and so on. [...] the significance of this Ukrainian nation is somewhat exaggerated, but let's admit that it exists. That's how it turned into what we see. From common people to the top officials, literally into animals.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative dehumanising Ukrainians and denying Ukrainian statehood. See the false narrative Ukrainians are Russians.Pro-Kremlin media have been massively accusing Ukrainians of being Fascists/Nazis since 2014 in order to justify the annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbas and the the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Fabricated pictures are used to advance this narrative. The definition of Ukranians as "animals" is very preoccupying. During the Holocaust, Nazis referred to Jews as rats. Hutus involved in the Rwanda genocide called Tutsis cockroaches. Such dehumanization opens the door for cruelty and genocide, shows the research "Less then human: the psychology of cruelty".Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

Invasion of Ukraine, Nazi/Fascist

07.03.2023

Moldova abandons its native language

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/moldova-abandons-its-native-language

free.1tv.ru

Moldova, Romania

Russian

Romanian instead of Moldovan in Moldova. [...] such an idea was just approved by the parliament of the republic today. The deputies of the ruling Action and Solidarity party, founded in 2016 by the current president Maia Sandu, who, importantly, has dual citizenship of Romania and Moldova, voted in favor.Changing the name of the state language in Moldova is a blow to the independence of the country, to its cultural heritage. This is stupidity, which leads the country further and further into the swamp of nationalism.

False narrative attributing a series of events taking place in Moldova since 1989 to its current president, Maia Sandu.The official state language in Moldova is Romanian, the native language of 82.2% of the population. In 1991, the Declaration of Independence of Moldova from USSR named the official language as Romanian, referring to the 1989 law adopted by the former Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic.In December 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that the Declaration of Independence takes precedence over the Constitution, and the state language should be called "Romanian".The International Organization for Standardization, which originally provided a separate code for the Moldovan language later abolished it and identifies Moldova´s language as Romanian.Thus, the recent decision of the Moldova´s Parliament only brings the wording of the Constitution in line with the decision of the Constitutional Court."Moldovan language" was in use in Soviet Moldova. It was Romanian written with cyrillic alphabet. Reintroducing Cyrillic Alphabet in Soviet Moldova, which was annexed by USSR from Romania in 1940 as Bessarabia, Soviet propagandists insisted on the historical roots of the "Moldovan language" written in Cyrillic in XVII century before switching to the Latin in XIX century. There were several requests to switch back to the Latin alphabet, which was seen "more suitable for the Romance core of the language", even in the Moldavian SSR. In 1965, such a demand of the 3rd Congress of Writers of Soviet Moldavia was rejected by the leadership of the Communist Party.The official name of the state’s language must be determined only in terms of scientific truth, with no political interference, reminded Constitutional Court of Moldova in 2013. "According to the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the official language of the Republic of Moldova is Romanian and the phrase “Moldovan language, based on Latin alphabet” of the Article 13 para. (1) of the Constitution can be equalized semantically with the Romanian language. At the same time, the Academy has mentioned that the official language of the Republic of Moldova shall operate on the basis of orthographic rules of the Romanian language", -stated the Court.See more disinformation narratives on Moldova and Maia Sandu.

Maia Sandu, Nazi/Fascist

06.03.2023

The EU might start a war against Belarus and Transnistria

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-might-start-a-war-against-belarus-and-transnistria

sputnik.by

Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, EU, Poland, Lithuania

Russian

The war in Ukraine has turned into a positional warfare which can last a long time. Europe dislikes this idea and is thinking how to end it. To expand the conflict, Europe is pondering the ideas of war of Poland and Lithuania against Belarus or of Moldova against Transnistria.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about alleged Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus, Western plots against Transnistria, and presenting Poland and Lithuania as states with aggressive plans towards Belarus. These claims became more frequent following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in an attempt to obfuscate Russia’s aggression. Read an earlier debunk of the Belarus-related claims here.The Moldovan authorities repeatedly emphasised that the only way to resolve the Transnistrian conflict is the peaceful one. They dismissed Russian claims of an alleged Ukrainian plot to invade a breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria after staging a false-flag operation. “We call for calm and for information to be received [by the public] from official and credible sources of the Republic of Moldova,” the government said in a statement. It also called these claims part of Russian 'psy-ops" against Moldova.Previously, on February 13, 2023 Moldovan president Maia Sandu stated that the Moldovan government believes Russia has plans to destabilise the internal situation in Moldova in order to topple the democratically elected government. “The plan for the next period involves actions with the involvement of diversionists with military training, camouflaged in civilian clothes, who will undertake violent actions, attack some state buildings, and even take hostages,” Sandu told reporters at a briefing.Transnistria is de-facto controlled by Russia since 1992, the ECHR ruled. Russia has violated human rights and the right to freedom and security in Transnistria.Read similar cases claiming that the West is pushing Chisinau to attack Transnistria, that Transnistria is Russian, that Moldova is preparing for a new war against Transnistria, and that the CIA will try to repeat a Maidan scenario in Belarus.

Conspiracy theory, War in Ukraine

05.03.2023

The attack on NS2 was planned in the White House and carried out together with Norway

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-attack-on-ns2-was-planned-in-the-white-house-and-carried-out-together-with-norway

de.rt.com

Germany, US, Norway, Russia

German

The disclosure by Hersh that the attack [on NS2] was planned in the White House and carried out together with Norway is dismissed by Germany as the fantasy of an ageing journalist and any further efforts to clarify the situation are abandoned. In Germany, which is well shielded from reality by the media, this strategy of defaming Hersh may still work halfway, but it does not work outside Germany.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The article can’t be considered an evidence of this: it is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog, so no editorial team was involved in its preparation.The central parts of its affirmations have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions).Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction.’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven.The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation.Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream, that American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, or that sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years.

Nord Stream 2, Conspiracy theory

05.03.2023

The US is giving the remote control of the EU to Poland

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-giving-the-remote-control-of-the-eu-to-poland

АТН: новости Беларуси и мира

Ukraine, Poland, US, EU

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Poland, US, EU

The Polish authorities aim to build a superpower from sea to sea. The US is passing the EU’s control panel to Poland by assisting Warsaw with accomplishing its imperial ambitions. Prospects of territorial expansion and the role of the US's hub of liquified gas allow Poland to dominate the region and promote the White House's interests. The US is giving the remote control of the EU to Poland.

Recurring pro-Kremlin claims about the lost sovereignty of European countries to the United States and Poland as a state with aggressive plans towards its neighbours, aiming to blur and deflect attention away from the reality of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.The US is an important ally to the EU but EU policy is not determined by the US. The European Union is a sovereign entity created by the voluntary initiative of European nations and it has its own, independent foreign policy, while the US has no say in its decisions. The European Union is explicit on the subject of national sovereignty: “the Member States all remain sovereign and independent states, they have decided to pool some of their 'sovereignty' in areas where it makes sense to work together.”Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries and rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. Amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claims about Poland's intentions to expand territory are frequently bandied about by pro-Kremlin media.See our examination of the Kremlin historical revisionism directed against Poland here. See also earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland thinks that Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and South-Western Lithuania belong to them, that Poland wants to dismember Ukraine and re-establish a Polish empire, that EU and NATO member states are subordinate to the US, while the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate, and that Europe is a colony of the United States.

05.03.2023

Ukraine court orders demolition of Orthodox church

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-court-orders-demolition-of-orthodox-church

yapolitic.ru

Ukraine, Russia

Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia

A Ukrainian court has ordered the demolition of an Orthodox church, the Church of the Tithes (Desyatynna Tserkva), Kyiv's first stone temple. It was built over 1000 years ago and restored in 2007.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing Ukraine of persecuting Christian Orthodox believers. This claim was made in the context of Russia's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.In reality, a Ukrainian court issued a ruling in February 2023 to demolish a chapel of the so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in central Kyiv, which was illegally built several years ago near the ruins of Church of the Tithes. The site belongs to the National Museum of Ukrainian History, whose director allowed the local parish of the Ukrainian Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to build a chapel there in 2004. First, a kiosk was set up there, which later was turned into a wooden chapel (not a church). A brick building was erected later. All these activities were illegal because the ruins of the Church of the Tithes and its surroundings are protected by UNESCO, which means that any construction activities are prohibited in that area. The Church of the Tithes was ruined during the Mongol invasion in the Middle Ages, and only parts of its floor are left. There were plans to restore it but they were rejected.There is no persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. In late 2022, the Ukrainian government announced a law banning churches affiliated with Russia, following a series of investigations related to parishes that Kyiv says could be taking orders from Moscow. This mostly affected the activities of the UOC-MP, which is affiliated with Russia and considered a key influence tool for Moscow in the country, and whose leadership has voiced its full support for the Russian war on Ukraine including siding closely with Putin, blessing soldiers and Russian guns and offering the church's support.The Ukrainian government does not plan to ban Orthodoxy. UOC-MP parishes are free to switch to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine which received the tomos of autocephaly in January 2019. It is also the most popular Orthodox church in Ukraine: 78% of Orthodox believers claim their allegiance to the church.Read similar cases claiming that there is not religious freedom in Ukraine: Kyiv persecutes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, US behind the religious split and persecution of the Orthodox in Ukraine, Schismatics seized the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and expelled the canonical church, Zelensky initiated anti-Orthodox purges in Ukraine.

04.03.2023

The UK still refuses to provide reliable information about the Skripal case

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-uk-still-refuses-to-provide-reliable-information-about-the-skripal-case

pl.sputniknews.com

UK, Russia

Polish

Moscow strongly condemns all the UK's attempts to hold Russia responsible for the incident in Salisbury and urges an objective investigation into this matter. Despite numerous appeals from the Russian side, London refuses to participate in a substantive discussion and joint investigation into this incident. So far, the British side has not provided any reliable information about the “Skripal case”. This is how the UK leadership is shamelessly using the Skripal case in its massive anti-Russian propaganda campaign.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the poisoning and attempted murder of former Russian GRU officer Sergei Skripal and “Russophobia”.On 4 March 2018, Sergei Skripal and his then 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury after being poisoned by a nerve agent. At least 21 people received medical treatment due to the attack. In June 2018, Dawn Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley, were poisoned in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, after he found a fake perfume bottle containing the same nerve agent (Novichok). Rowley recovered but Sturgess died on 8 July.The UK investigation found that Sergey and Yuliya Skripal were poisoned using a specific Novichok nerve agent that could only have been produced by a state actor. This was confirmed by an independent OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] analysis.See the EU's statement on the Salisbury attack.Novichok nerve agents were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1980s under a programme codenamed FOLIANT. According to a UK intelligence assessment, based on open-source analysis and intelligence information, in the past decade, Russia has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichok agents, long after it signed the Chemical Weapons Convention.The British Police have presented a solid chain of evidence on the Skripal case, with pictures, connecting the suspects to the locations in the case. Parts of the material have been released to the public. The evidence was sufficient to charge two Russian nationals, Anatoliy Chepiga and Aleksandr Mishkin with the attack on the Skripals, both of them Russian military intelligence (GRU) who travelled to the UK using fake names and documents. In September 2021, British police charged in absentia a third Russian GRU agent, Denis Sergeev, who used the alias Sergei Fedotov.The term “Russophobia” is regularly used by pro-Kremlin outlets as a propaganda tool, and especially as a means of deflecting any criticism on Russia’s illicit actions.Read similar cases claiming that London failed to provide proof of Novichok and Russia’s responsibility in Skripal case, that it is unclear, who really poisoned Sergei and Yulia Skripal and that Russia is under unlawful pressure from the Euro-Atlantic states.

Skripal, Sergei Skripal, Anti-Russian, Maria Zakharova, Propaganda

02.03.2023

Russia has not received serious proposals about a solution for Ukraine war since March 2022

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russia-has-not-received-serious-proposals-about-a-solution-for-ukraine-war-since-march-2022

tass.ru

Ukraine, Russia, EU

Russian

Russia has not received any serious proposals regarding the settlement of the situation in Ukraine since March 2022. Russia has never refused serious negotiations.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that Kyiv and the West are interested in protracting hostilities in Ukraine. This claim was made in the context of Russia's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.As far as peace negotiations are concerned, the EU Council Conclusions of 09 February 2023 state unequivocally:"Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with its steadfast support for as long as it takes."The EU supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace, including:- President Zelenskyy’s peace formula- Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan- a peace formula summit.Western leaders did everything they could to prevent the war. The West was paying great efforts to stop the war in the first months of hostilities (see here and here), but Russia turned a blind eye to these efforts. Ukraine also put forward its proposals concerning a full withdrawal of Russian troops from the internationally recognised Ukrainian territory including the illegally annexed peninsula of Crimea and the temporarily occupied areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions. Moscow ignored all these attempts at a peaceful settlement.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.See similar disinformation cases claiming that EU, US, and NATO use Ukrainians as cannon fodder and that Russian special operation was provoked by Ukraine and the West.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Military

01.03.2023

Sweden may be hiding serious evidence concerning the destruction of Nord Stream

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/sweden-may-be-hiding-serious-evidence-concerning-the-destruction-of-nord-stream

pl.sputniknews.com

US, Sweden, Russia

Polish

The United States and other governments simply reject the thesis of Seymour Hersh’s Nord Stream investigation without presenting any arguments. The Swedish authorities took a shameful decision to restrict access to information obtained during the investigation of the attack. Sweden may be acting not as an investigator, but as a player, hiding serious evidence at a crime scene.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the NS 1 and NS 2 gas pipelines. The article can’t be considered an evidence of this: it is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog, so no editorial team was involved in its preparation. Hersh claimed that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later. Snopes portal asked Hersh to respond to criticism that his article's claims are based on a single source and also asked if any undisclosed parties verified or vetted any of that source's assertions as part of his reporting. In response, he told Snopes, that he protects his sources.The blog post's key affirmations have been credibly debunked by factcheckers, journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as the claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 years old at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions).Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.Apart from the great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets, it has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an international investigation.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction(opens in a new tab).’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven.Asked about Hersh's claim that Oslo supported the operation, the Norwegian foreign ministry said: "These claims are false."Sweden, Germany, and Denmark investigate the incident. The preliminary Danish investigation only found that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by powerful explosions. Sweden’s authorities found evidence of detonations, thus strengthening suspicions of “gross sabotage”. The investigations are ongoing and Swedish, Danish, and German authorities have not pinned the blame on any one country or actor.For a comprehensive analysis of the issue, please read Nord Stream 1 & 2 sabotage - disinformation a la MH-17. See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, that the UK took part in the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines, or that the West blew up Nord Stream 1 and 2.

Nord Stream 2, Provocation, gas, Conspiracy theory

01.03.2023

Ukraine was created by Russia, it is historically fair that it becomes Russian again

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/ukraine-was-created-by-russia-it-is-historically-fair-that-it-becomes-russian-again

odysee.com,Sputnik on Twitter,t.me,reseauinternational.net,RT France,t.me,crowdbunker.com,francais.rt.com,VK.com Resource

Ukraine, Russia

French, Russian, English

Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia or more precisely with Bolshevik and Communist Russia. This process began almost immediately after the 1917 revolution and Lenin and its companions did in such a coarse way towards Russia itself. By way of separation, from secession by tearing up part of the own territories which were historically Russian. Millions of people who lived there of course were not consulted in no way. The reintegration of the provinces of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk is therefore historically perfectly justified.

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying Ukrainian statehood and revising history.The history of Ukraine dates back to the era of the Kyivan Rus’ in the 9th-13th centuries. A fully independent Ukraine only emerged in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland-Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).In the aftermath of World War I and the disintegration of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires two states were created: the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) and the West Ukrainian People's Republic. They merged into a unified state - the Ukrainian People's Republic - on 22 January 1919. Under Lenin's leadership at the beginning of the 20th century, Ukraine was occupied by the Bolsheviks and for decades was under communist control.When the Soviet Union began to unravel in 1990–91, the legislature of the Ukrainian SSR declared sovereignty (July 16, 1990) and then outright independence (August 24, 1991). With the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991, Ukraine gained full independence which was also recognised by Russia under late president Yeltsin.Discover seven popular myths about Russia and the Ukraine conflict here - including more about the claim that Ukraine is artificial and belongs inside a Greater Russia.See also about President Putin's 2021 writings denying Ukraine's right to exist here.Read also related cases : It was Lenin who created Ukraine , Ukraine never existed before the 20th century, it was created by the Bolsheviks , Ukraine was created by Lenin, Stalin, and Khrushchev , Ukraine can soon collapse and lose East and South of the country granted by Lenin in 1918 , Ukraine was created by Vladimir Lenin, Ukrainian statehood is an inheritance from Soviet Ukraine , Integration of Donbas with Rostov Region is historically predetermined , "Ukrainianness" is a fabricated anti-Orthodox anti-Russian project implemented by Lenin...

Russian world, Invasion of Ukraine, illegal annexation, Historical revisionism, Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian statehood

01.03.2023

Radioactive substances brought to Ukraine could be used to make a "dirty bomb"

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/radioactive-substances-brought-to-ukraine-could-be-used-to-make-a-dirty-bomb

sputnik-ossetia.ru,sputnik-georgia.com

Ukraine, Russia

Russian, Georgian

Containers filled with radioactive substances were brought into the port of Chornomorsk from the territory of one European state, bypassing the customs inspection. Similar containers of radioactive substance Californium-252 were brought into the port of Odesa by one of the cargo ships.These substances may be used as components of munitions or to make a "dirty bomb".

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative capitalising on fear of nuclear material and trying to accuse the West of providing weapons to Ukraine with the capability of nuclear strike. This is a part of a wider disinformation campaign whose ultimate goal is to present Ukraine as a threat to Russia and therefore justify Russia’s unprovoked aggression against its peaceful neighbour.The claims made by Russia about Ukraine’s plans to acquire or detonate a nuclear artifact have been made multiple times, but have not been backed by any evidence, and some of them have been positively proven as false. Under the Budapest memorandum in 1994, Ukraine promised to remove all Soviet-era nuclear weapons from its territory, send them to disarmament facilities in Russia, and sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Ukraine kept these promises. In return, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States promised that none of them would ever threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. They specifically pledged they would refrain from making each other's territory the object of military occupation or engage in other uses of force in violation of international law.Previously Western leaders have rejected Russia's 'dirty bomb' claim, and EU High Representative Josep Borrell dismissed the allegations as false. In addition, diplomats from France, Britain and the United States called Russia’s allegation a pretext that Moscow has developed for escalating the war. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Western tanks given to Ukraine could deliver nuclear warheads, that Kyiv passed from rejecting nuclear weapons to preparing a dirty bomb and that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons.

West, Radiation, Nuclear issues, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine

01.03.2023

Bucha massacre was carried out by Ukrainian artillery

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/bucha-massacre-was-carried-out-by-ukrainian-artillery

Rossiya 1

Ukraine

Russian

... [H]ow did the investigation of the tragedy in Bucha end[?] A year has passed. The West continues to lie. [...] it was the French police and also British forensic experts were involved [in the investigation]. They reported that most of the bodies that were submitted for examination died from the use of artillery. That these are not shootings. At the same time, they coquettishly did not say whose artillery. Although it is obvious that it was Ukrainian artillery, according to the submunitions that were found.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation denying the involvement of Russian troops in a massacre in the town of Bucha near Kyiv. This is part of a disinformation campaign aiming to justify Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.Dozens of Bucha civilians were killed by metal shrapnels from Russian artillery. “We are seeing a lot mutilated (disfigured) bodies,” , - Vladyslav Pirovskyi, a Ukrainian forensic doctor, told the Guardian in April 2022. “A lot of them had their hands tied behind their backs and shots in the back of their heads. There were also cases with automatic gunfire, like six to eight holes on the back of victims. And we have several cases of cluster bombs’ elements embedded in the bodies of the victims.” The use of such indiscriminate weapons in areas with civilians is a violation of humanitarian law.The New York Times has identified 36 of the victims along Yablunska Street. A Russian military unit killed dozens in Bucha, a Times investigation shows. But an eight-month visual investigation by The New York Times concluded that the perpetrators of the massacre along Yablunska Street were Russian paratroopers from the 234th Air Assault Regiment led by Lt. Col. Artyom Gorodilov.Evidence includes photos and videos by Bucha survivors, CCTV footage, satellite footage, and details of calls to Russia made by perpetrators from the phones of murdered victims.Universal jurisdiction investigations of war crimes in Ukraine are investigations of war crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine carried out under the legal systems of individual states under the universal jurisdiction principle of international humanitarian law. States that started investigations include Germany, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden and others.Following the atrocities in Bucha, in Ukraine, President von der Leyen tasked Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, to follow-up and support the coordination of the EU efforts to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine. A Joint Investigation Team has been set up with the support of Eurojust to collect evidence and investigate core international crimes committed in Ukraine. The Joint Investigation Team consists of the International Criminal Court, Ukraine, and Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Romania. Read more here. See more disinformation cases on Bucha.

war crimes

01.03.2023

The US supplied Ukraine with poisonous substances

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-supplied-ukraine-with-poisonous-substances

sputnik-georgia.ru,sputnik-abkhazia.ru

Ukraine, US, Russia

Russian

Several wagonloads of poisonous substances have been delivered to Ukraine, including the US-made BZ chemical weapon, as well as a large batch of personal protective equipment. Washington's goal is to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the ‘special operation’ zone under the cover of the puppet Ukrainian army and shift the responsibility for this crime to Russia.The proximity of the defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and NATO is pushing the Americans to desperate and reckless attempts to turn the tide of the Russian ‘special operation’ at any cost, even the use of weapons of mass destruction in Donbas.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claim about chemical weapons. No evidence given to back up the claims which are part of a broader pro-Kremlin information manipulation campaign supporting the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and trying to place the blame for the war’s atrocities on Ukraine, as our recent analysis explains.Ukraine's Armed Forces said they had never used chemical weapons anywhere at any time and accused Moscow of engaging in disinformation and of itself using banned weapons.The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. But these weapons do not include weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical weapons.Moscow has a history of falsely accusing its opponents of staging "provocations" which either never happened at all, or were subsequently carried out by themselves or their allies.Read similar disinformation cases, such as claims that Ukraine used chemical weapons near Soledar and Bakhmut, that Kyiv passed from rejecting nuclear weapons to preparing a dirty bomb, that Americans inject Ukrainian soldiers with drugs and viruses for biological research, that Ukraine turns nuclear power plants into military facilities, that US contractors help prepare chemical provocations in Ukraine, or that Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks.

Chemical weapons/attack, Provocation, Anti-Russian, Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Donbas

01.03.2023

Biden spoke publicly about a plan to undermine the Nord Stream pipelines

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/biden-spoke-publicly-about-a-plan-to-undermine-the-nord-stream-pipelines

russian.rt.com

Ukraine, US, Russia, Germany

Russian

The team behind the plan to blow up Nord Streams was upset when the US President Joe Biden publicly said he knew how to shut down the pipelines. Initially, the sabotage was conceived as a covert operation. Within three weeks of the briefing, in which Biden was briefed on the plan, he spoke about it publicly, as did Under Secretary Victoria Nuland. Within three weeks [of the briefing], in late January/early February of last year, they both publicly stated, "We know we can stop it. The President said this at a press conference: "We will stop Nord Stream 1."" After these words, there was a question from a journalist. It's all known, documented, and was on the evening news shows. The journalist asked: "How will you do it?" [Biden] responded, "I'll tell you: we know how to do it. We can do it".The pipelines were mined during the NATO exercise BALTOPS 22 using remotely activated devices.

Claims made in Seymour Hersh’s Substack post titled “How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline” are not supported by any evidence.On 7 February 2022 President Biden said at a press conference: "if Russia invades — that means tanks or troops crossing the — the border of Ukraine again — then there will be — we — there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it."Question: "But how will you — how will you do that exactly, since the project and control of the project is within Germany’s control?"President Biden: "We will — I promise you, we’ll be able to do it".President Biden referred to the US sanctions on Nord Stream 2, which were imposed by the US administration in 2019 and were lifted in 2021. Also, Biden only referred to the Nord Stream 2, while the disinformation narrative expands his words over Nord Stream 1 and 2 at once, using "Nord Streams" in plural, the Insider points out.Nord Streams September 2022 explosions are investigated by the concerned countries – Denmark, Germany and Sweden.The false narrative is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The article can’t be considered an evidence of this: it is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog, so no editorial team was involved in its preparation.The central parts of its affirmations have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions).Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction.’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven.The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets.See more disinformation narratives on Nord Stream, as well as the Russian's invasion of Ukraine in the TV-documentaries by the four Nordic public broadcasters' documentaries presenting new evidence of Russian vessels around the Nord Stream explosion sites.

Nord Stream 2, Invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden

01.03.2023

About 80 children torn from Ukrainian refugees across Europe over past year

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/about-80-children-torn-from-ukrainian-refugees-across-europe-over-past-year

aif.ru

Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Europe

Russian

Although there is no aggregated data, lawyers and human rights activists say that about 80 children have been seized from Ukrainian refugees in Europe over the past year. The real number of such cases is much higher.

This is a recurring disinformation claim which Russian propaganda uses to create a negative image of Europe in which children are allegedly seized from their refugee parents. This claim was made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. As such it is also an attempt to deflect attention away from the well-documented Russian state-sponsored abduction of Ukrainian children for which the International Criminal Court ICC has issued an international arrest warrant against Putin and Russian Federation Childrens' Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova. StopFake, a fact-checking organisation founded in 2014 by Ukrainian professors and students found no evidence of Ukrainian refugees living in Europe having their children taken away from them. See their full debunk.In reality, European officials are not authorised to remove children from their families. In Germany, for example, this extreme measure may be applied only if the child is in serious danger. A national report on Combating Child Abuse and Neglect Child Protection in Germany explicitly says:“If employees of the Child and Youth Welfare Authority believe there is an imminent danger, for example, they find a toddler during a home visit in a totally trashed apartment and in a health-threatening condition, then they have far-reaching authorities: they are legally allowed to remove the children temporarily from the parents’ home, if the danger cannot be averted in any other manner. (...) The custody is terminated with the return of the child, provided the danger no longer exists, with the initiation of support services or a court decision.”Read similar disinformation cases alleging that The West is taking away Ukrainian children like it did with indigenous people in America and that Ukrainian children being seized from refugee parents.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Refugees, children

01.03.2023

The US is going to use psychotropic weapons against Russian army in Ukraine

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-going-to-use-psychotropic-weapons-against-russian-army-in-ukraine

asd.news

US, Ukraine, Russia

Russian

In the near future, the United States is going to use psychotropic weapons in the "special military operation" zone. The Americans have already brought psychotropic weapons to Kramatorsk (Donetsk oblast).

The article provides no evidence for its claims and promotes recurrent pro-Kremlin conspiracy theories about Ukraine allegedly using biological, chemical and nuclear weapons against Russia. Such narratives are a leitmotif of a years-old disinformation campaign conducted by the Kremlin and are currently deployed in an attempt to justify Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.See similar disinformation cases alleging that Americans inject Ukrainian soldiers with drugs and viruses for biological research, that Ukraine uses chemical weapons making the conflict increasingly complex that Ukraine has drones capable of spraying containers with mosquitos to spread bioweapons, or that Kyiv passed from rejecting nuclear weapons to preparing a dirty bomb.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Biological weapons

28.02.2023

NATO might disintegrate because of the Nord stream pipelines explosions

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nato-might-disintegrate-because-of-the-nord-stream-pipelines-explosions

bgr.news-front.info

US, Sweden, Denmark, Germany

Bulgarian

Blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines could lead to consequences contrary to US President Joe Biden's desire to preserve NATO unity. By sabotaging the pipelines, Biden has started something he does not understand and it is a question of time to see which country will leave NATO first.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The claims made in the article have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions).Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction.’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven.The story has received great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets and has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an investigation.Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream, that American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, or that sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years.

Nord Stream 2, Joe Biden, Energy, gas, Conspiracy theory

28.02.2023

US is helping Ukraine to prepare a provocation using chemical weapons

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/us-is-helping-ukraine-to-prepare-a-provocation-using-chemical-weapons

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, US, Russia

Hungarian

A US provocation using chemical weapons is in the making in the Ukrainian zone of operations. On 10 February, a wagon carrying chemical substances, escorted by foreign nationals, arrived in Kramatorsk and the cargo was unloaded under the supervision of officers from the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). The wagon contained 16 sealed metal cans. Half of them were marked with a chemical hazard sign with the inscription BZ. This chemical causes acute psychosis, disorientation, hallucinations, memory impairment. The use of BZ (3-Quinuclidinyl Benzylate) is prohibited under Article 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The simultaneous transport of toxic chemicals and protective equipment suggest that [...] large-scale provocations are prepared with the psychotropic warfare agent BZ. Given that the war makes an international investigation of the incident impossible, the masterminds of the operation expect to shift the blame to Moscow.

Conspiracy theory and a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claim about the alleged use of chemical weapons by Ukraine. Such claims are part of a broader pro-Kremlin information manipulation campaign supporting the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and trying to place the blame for war atrocities on Ukraine, as our recent analysis explains.There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine may have used or is planning to use chemical weapons under any circumstances. In fact, this is an attempt to deflect responsibility away from Russia's own actions, with Western leaders having concerns that Russia could use chemical weapons. Russia has a history of both using chemical weapons against the opponents of Putin's regime, and attempts to undermine the international norms and institutions which prohibit the use of chemical weapons. Read similar disinformation cases on the topic: US contractors help prepare chemical provocations in Ukraine; Ukraine aims to use Turkish Bayraktars for chemical attacks; Ukraine is preparing a false flag chemical attack to damage the image of Russia; Kyiv forces are about to launch a chemical attack against Russian soldiers.

Chemical weapons/attack, Provocation, Donbas, Invasion of Ukraine

28.02.2023

Today NATO operates as Russia's enemy

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/today-nato-operates-as-russias-enemy

pl.sputniknews.com

Russia, EU, US

Polish

[A]t the present moment, NATO [...] is no longer a Russia's conditional adversary but an enemy. Intelligence of NATO countries work against Russia 24 hours a day. NATO weapons are delivered to Ukraine for free, and they are used for shooting not only at the Russian military but also the Ukrainian citizens, towns and villages.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO. NATO is a defensive alliance with primary aims to maintain peace and safeguard the independence, security and territorial integrity of its members. NATO constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. NATO’s official policy is that “the Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia.”Individual NATO member countries provide Ukraine with weapons, ammunition and many types of light and heavy military equipment, including anti-tank and air defence systems, howitzers, drones and tanks. Allied forces are also training Ukrainian troops to use this equipment, in order to help Ukraine to uphold its right of self-defence, which is enshrined in the United Nations Charter.Even before Russia began its aggressive actions against Ukraine, Russian officials often accused NATO of a series of threats and hostile actions. Pro-Kremlin disinformation myth of NATO "encircling Russia" has been used a s pretext for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Read here top five Russian Myths debunked.See similar cases in our database: The role of NATO is to increase the confrontation with Russia; NATO aims to destabilise Europe; Russophobic Baltic NATO-States responsible for turning defensive NATO-alliance into a confrontation with Russia; NATO is leading humanity to WWIII.

Dmitry Peskov, NATO, Anti-Russian, Military, security threat, War in Ukraine

28.02.2023

Anti-Russian sanctions will kill EU’s economic sovereignty

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/anti-russian-sanctions-will-kill-eus-economic-sovereignty

tass.ru

Russia, EU

Russian

The European Union again made a mistake in predicting the effectiveness of sanctions as it introduced the tenth package of anti-Russian restrictions. Restrictions on trade with Russia will only increase the EU's dependence on its competitors and "kill" its economic sovereignty.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets alleging that anti-Russian sanctions are damaging for Western countries in the first place, while failing to affect the Russian economy. This claim was made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.Since Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Council has adopted ten packages of sanctions against Russia and Belarus. The sanctions aim at weakening Russia’s ability to finance the war and specifically target the political, military and economic elite responsible for the invasion. Economic indicators are showing that the restrictive measures taken in Europe and elsewhere against Russia have had an impact on the Russian economy.According to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2022 was a bad year for the Russian economy. It is estimated that in 2022, Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by at least 2.2% in the best-case scenario and by up to 3.9% in the worst-case scenario.Russia's unjustified and unprovoked war against Ukraine has highly impacted energy and food markets. EU countries are closely coordinating actions to tackle rising prices and scarcity of supplies. See here how the EU is working to tackle high energy prices and ensure security of supply, and address the global food crisis.See other examples of disinformation about EU sanctions: The EU decision on Russia today is a step towards self-destruction, Western economies are collapsing, Russia’s economic successes surprise investors and Anti-Russian sanctions broke EU economy.Among international economists there is a critical discussion about the reliability of Russian economic data, hiding a worse-than-reported reality of the Russian economy. See here.

Sanctions, Invasion of Ukraine

28.02.2023

NATO destroyed trust in the New START treaty

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/nato-destroyed-trust-in-the-new-start-treaty

oroszhirek.hu

Russia, US, Ukraine

Hungarian

NATO experts are helping Kyiv launch drone strikes against Russian airfields hosting long-range bombers that are part of Moscow's nuclear deterrent. Washington and NATO's proxy war against Russia has destroyed the basis of trust on which the New START treaty was originally built.

New pro-Kremlin disinformation claim about the war in Ukraine and about nuclear issues in the context of Moscow’s decision to suspends its participation in the New START arms control treaty.Both the Engels-2 airfield in Saratov Oblast and the Dyagilevo airfield in Ryazan Oblast are military facilities managed by the Russian Ministry of Defence. If there were Ukrainian strikes on both objects, they would be legal under Article 52 of the Geneva Convention (Protocol I).Russia is the only country responsible for the invasion of Ukraine. It has been coming up with different explanations and pretexts for its aggression. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. Now Moscow has taken a next step to undermine the rules-based international order by suspending its participation in the START nuclear arms control treaty.First signed during the Obama administration to take effect in 2011 and then renewed in February 2021, shortly after President Joe Biden took office, the strategic arms treaty places a cap on the number nuclear armaments each country can have. The current extension lasts until February 2026, but both countries have complained about the other’s compliance. In January, the US accused Russia of, among other things, continuing to refuse to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities, a key verification condition on the treaty. Putin’s announcement on New START formalizes much of what Russia was already doing. The treaty requires reciprocal inspections to verify compliance, but Russia has not allowed this to happen since last fall, when they were supposed to resume following the Covid pandemic.In a statement Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. Under-Secretary for Arms Control and International Security said: "Only a few days ago, President (Vladimir) Putin announced that Russia was unilaterally suspending the implementation of the New START treaty. Russia is once again showing the world that it is not a responsible nuclear power,"The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Some NATO member states provide Ukraine with military assistance to help Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s attack, but they are not involved in direct fighting. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Western instructors train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use modern weaponry and NATO officials have frequent political contacts with Ukrainian counterparts, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons, that Ukraine asked NATO for preemptive nuclear strikes against Russia, that Ukraine wanted to acquire nuclear weapons because of American pressure, or that Zelenskyy is pushing the world towards a nuclear war.

Nuclear issues, NATO, US presence in Europe, Invasion of Ukraine, Destabilising Russia

28.02.2023

German tanks arrive in Ukraine with neo-Nazi symbols

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/german-tanks-arrive-in-ukraine-with-neo-nazi-symbols

oroszhirek.hu

Ukraine, Germany

Hungarian

A train carrying tanks was filmed in Mannheim, Germany, on its way to Ukraine via Poland. On one of the tank wagons you can see the neo-Nazis' favourite number: 14/88. These numbers refer to the 88 laws written by David Lane and the content of the '14 words'. They are also used s a veiled celebration of Adolf Hitler and thus to identify each other, as the "H" is the 8th letter of the German alphabet, thus 88 = HH, which means "Heil Hitler". This reference is also often found in the names of various neo-Nazi bands (e.g. Division 88).

This is part of pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about international support for Ukraine. The claim targets the delivery of German tanks Leopard 2 to Ukraine, and is attempting to falsely portray the Kyiv government as a "Nazi regime".The original picture comes from a video made in Mannheim, Germany, published on March 2022. The video shows a train loaded with tanks, but there is no Nazi or any other signs painted on them. Thus the picture was taken out of context and manipulated to support the Kremlin’s narrative about the invasion of Ukraine.The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy. The accusation of Nazism and building a link to Nazi Germany is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets. Read our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".

Nazi/Fascist, Military, Invasion of Ukraine, Adolf Hitler

28.02.2023

The EU anti-Russian sanctions kill the economic sovereignty of Europe

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-anti-russian-sanctions-kill-the-economic-sovereignty-of-europe

pl.sputniknews.com

Russia, EU

Polish

The EU remains captive to its arrogant perception of Russia – Europe was wrong in all its predictions about [catastrophic] consequences of the “suffocating” sanctions. Each next “package” of the EU anti-Russian sanctions clearly shows that this tool does not work.The sanctions primarily kill the economic sovereignty of the European Union. The EU can impose as many restrictions on trade with Russia as it wants, but this will only increase its dependence on direct competitors.

Recurring disinformation about sanctions on Russia, and on EU disintegration.The EU adopted so far ten sanction packages against Russia due to its illegal aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories. According to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2022 was a bad year for the Russian economy. It is estimated that in 2022, Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by at least 2.2% in the best-case scenario and by up to 3.9% in the worst-case scenario.Russia’s economy may continue to shrink in 2023. Its GDP is forecast to decline by 5.6% in the worst-case scenario (OECD) or by 3.3% according to the World Bank. The IMF expects slight growth in 2023 (0.3%).Figures are proving that the restrictive measures are yielding results. Both the World Bank and the IMF estimated that in 2022, Russia’s trade in goods and services was set to decline significantly. In 2023, exports will continue to decline, while imports are expected to be higher than in 2022. An analysis of the impact of those sanctions on the Russian economy is available here. See also the assessment of EU HRVP Josep Borrell: sanction policy is working and strongly impacts the Russian economy.Claims about the EU losing its economic sovereignty are often employed by pro-Kremlin outlets, often in the same sentence as claims about puppet states and foreign masters. in the case of energy, for example, the EU took steps “to secure the EU’s energy supplies, such as a gas storage regulation, a gas demand reduction regulation, the creation of an EU energy platform and outreach initiatives for the diversification of supply sources.” The Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer survey shows that three-quarters of EU citizens approve of the EU’s overall support of Ukraine as well as the specific measures including sanctions against Russia. Democracy, human rights, and free speech are paramount to EU citizens as they call on the European Parliament to defend these values on which the EU is founded.Read here about the EU and the US sanctions explained.See other similar examples of disinformation: US is destroying industry in Europe by forcing Brussels to sanction Russia; Western sanctions on Russian energy jeopardize the global economy; Sanctions that were supposed to destroy Russia may disintegrate the EU.

Maria Zakharova, Sanctions, Anti-Russian, Economic difficulties, Sovereignty

28.02.2023

The EU openly abuses relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan through EUMA

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-eu-openly-abuses-relations-with-armenia-and-azerbaijan-through-euma

news.am

Armenia, EU, Azerbaijan

Armenian

We see how the European Union openly abuses its relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan, including by promoting its so-called mission on the territory of Armenia. This raises serious doubts in terms of legitimacy and raises many questions about its functions, mandate, duration, and added value that the mission can have in efforts to normalise relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the EU of misusing its mandate without providing any evidence and attempts to discredit the EU mission in Armenia - EUMA.Contrary to the claim, the EU has a strong interest in a politically stable and economically prosperous Southern Caucasus, but the regional context is not easy. To cautiously create a base for confidence-building and dialogue in the fresh post-war environment the EU has established a number of programmes (EU4Peace, EU4Dialogue, EU4Culture).The EU (European Council) agreed to establish a civilian European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The objective of the Mission is to contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, build confidence on the ground, and ensure an environment conducive to normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan supported by the EU.In response to Armenia’s request, the EUMA will conduct routine patrolling and report on the situation, which will strengthen the EU’s understanding of the situation on the ground. The Mission will also contribute to the mediation efforts in the framework. The EU mission was created by mutual agreement of all parties, stationed on the territory of Armenia with unarmed monitors. EUMA will observe and report on the security situation along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan.See similar disinfo cases in our database: Brussels wants to squeeze Russia out of the Caucasus; Brussels aims to change the security system; the West aims to oust Russia of Transcaucasia; The European Union is lying when they talk about the civilian nature of the EU observation mission in Armenia.

European Union, Sergei Lavrov, Encircling Russia, Anti-Russian, Caucasus

28.02.2023

Russian media never published a disrespectful word about the Ukrainian people

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/russian-media-never-published-a-disrespectful-word-about-the-ukrainian-people

Rossiya 1

Ukraine

Russian

It was the West who spoke about this, Western politicians, that Russia planned to destroy Ukraine, destroy the Ukrainian people, take Kyiv in three days. On February 24, the President of the Russian Federation set a completely different task. It was about protecting the LNR and the DNR. There was no mention of the destruction of Ukraine as a state. Moreover, no words of disrespect for the Ukrainian people have ever been expressed anywhere in any article. This never happened at all. But the West invents fairy tales and develops them on its own.

On February 24, 2022 Russia started a "denazification and demilitarization" operation in Ukraine by bombing Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. One of the articles of RIA Novosti from 3 April 2022 is called "What Russia has to do with Ukraine". It reads: "We already wrote about the inevitability of the denazification of Ukraine. Nazi, Bandera Ukraine, the enemy of Russia and the West's tool for the destruction of Russia, we do not need it anymore. Today, the issue of denazification has moved into a practical plane. Denazification is necessary when a significant part of the people - most likely the majority - has been mastered and drawn into the Nazi regime in its politics. That is, when the hypothesis "the people are good - the government is bad" does not work". The article also proposed to liquidate the Armed Forces of Ukraine, create new authorities and police, withdraw history books, erect new monuments, as well as “include a set of anti-fascist and denazification norms in the constitutions of the new people’s republics” and create “denazification bodies” for 25 years.In December 2022, the French media regulator Arcom cancelled the French satellite broadcaster Eutelsat's right to rebroadcast Russian State TV Channels, concluding that Rossiya 1, Perviy Kanal et NTV systematically called for hatred towards Ukrainians.Some of the pro-Kremlin media openly spoke about "deukranisation".The whole concept of Ukraine's denazification was invented by the pro-Kremlin media to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Among other methods, fabricated pictures were used to advance the disinformation narrative of Nazi rule in Ukraine.Ukrainian statehood is also regularly mocked by pro-Kremlin media. See for example Ukraine is not a failed State, Ukraine as State does not exist at all.To read more about continuous barrage of Kremlin disinformation about Ukraine, and Ukrainians, please see our Ukraine section.

Invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian statehood

28.02.2023

The US is recruiting jihadists in Syria for terrorist attacks inside Russia

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-is-recruiting-jihadists-in-syria-for-terrorist-attacks-inside-russia

sputniknews.lat,actualidad-rt.com,actualidad-rt.com

Syria, US, Russia

Spanish

The US is actively recruiting jihadists from ISIS and Al Qaeda to perpetrate terrorist attacks in Russia and other former USSR countries. This recruitment and training is taking place in the military base of Al Tanf in Syria, mostly among combatants from the Caucasus and Central Asia. They are trained in the fabrication and use of improvised explosive devices and in subversive techniques. As the US security forces get demoralised, they get obsessed with the idea of bleeding Russia and consider acceptable to use terrorists for their goals.

This is a mix of several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West’s alleged support for terrorism, and about destabilising Russia.There is no evidence backing this baseless allegation. In fact, instead of promoting jihadist organisations, the US has been acting as the leader of the global coalition to defeat Daesh/ISIS, and is part of the Operation Inherent Resolve to attack and degrade the capabilities of the group since 2014. It has also invested massive resources and efforts for years to fight Al Qaeda.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the West encouraged the creation of the Islamic State, who are its mercenaries; that the West is supporting terrorists to encircle Russia; that the EU is supporting terrorism against the Syrian state; that instead of killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the US may have evacuated him; that the US is transporting ISIS members to Afghanistan; or that extremists and Nazis are being trained in Ukraine to act in Belarus.

Jihad, Terrorism, Destabilising Russia, Syrian War

28.02.2023

Kyiv rejected China's peace initiatives under direct influence of the US and the EU

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/kyiv-rejected-chinas-peace-initiatives-under-direct-influence-of-the-us-and-the-eu

bgr.news-front.info

Ukraine, EU, US, Russia

Bulgarian

Kyiv's decision to reject China's peace initiatives was directly influenced by the United States and the European Union. By rejecting China's proposed peace plan for Ukraine, the US and the EU have shown who is really in control of Kyiv. Ukraine no longer determines the objectives of this armed conflict, nor its purpose. It is all being dictated by Washington and Brussels. What began as an offensive has turned into a proxy war. The West does not care about the Ukrainians as they are just cannon fodder used to fight Russia.

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that Ukraine is a Western puppet. The claim aims to deflect any responsibility for Russia’s unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. By emphasizing Ukraine’s alleged lack of sovereignty, the article aims to undermine its statehood. See the Ukrainian President's response to the Chinese peace proposals in this article from the Guardian.The claim that Ukraine is controlled by Western countries is groundless. Pro-Kremlin media outlets often cast doubts on Ukraine’s statehood and claim that Ukraine is going to collapse soon. Ukraine is not controlled by the US, EU or any other foreign entity. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by the vast majority of the international community but were violated by Russia from 2014.Neither the US nor European countries have pushed Ukraine to war with Russia or want to escalate the war. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defense, in accordance with the UN Charter, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The the request of the Ukrainian government, a number of Western countries train Ukrainian soldiers on battlefield tactics and how to use Western weaponry, but there are no NATO troops fighting on the front in Ukraine.See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.

War in Ukraine, Invasion of Ukraine, Sovereignty

28.02.2023

European parliament is financed by US military companies

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/european-parliament-ifinanced-by-us-military-companies

tass.com

EU, Russia

English

Corruption in the European Parliament thrives. European MPs receive pensions from US military companies such as Raytheon, Honeywell International and Textron Inc.

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets trying to defame Europe and its political institutions.This is an unsubstantiated claim about receiving money from any US arms companies. The Code of Conduct for Members with respect to financial interests and conflicts of interest sets out as its guiding principles that members shall act solely in the public interest and conduct their work with disinterest, integrity, openness, diligence, honesty, accountability and respect for the European Parliament's reputation. The Code of Conduct defines conflicts of interest and how members should address them, including the obligation for Members to submit a detailed declaration of their financial interests and to declare their attendance at events organised by third parties, as well as any gifts received in an official capacity. More details are available in the Rules of Procedure: Rule 11 - Members’ financial interests and Transparency Register.Furthermore, following a corruption scandal at the European Parliament at the end of 2022, currently under investigation by the Belgian authorities, MEPs, i.a., are asking for more reforms, building on the ones announced by the Conference of Presidents, and demand an EU independent ethics body be set up swiftly. Read more about two recently adopted EP resolutions here.Read more disinformation cases about corruption in the European Union.

Corruption, European Parliament

27.02.2023

Romania is concentrating air defense systems to Moldova’s border

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/romania-is-concentrating-air-defense-systems-to-moldovas-border

Pravda.ru

Romania, Moldova, Ukraine

Russian

Romania pulls air defense systems to the border with Moldova. A video has been published on the Web that show that Romania is pulling together air defense systems near the border with Moldova.

Pro-Kremlin disinfo narrative suggesting that Moldova is preparing for war against Russia, being instigated by Washington and NATO via Romania, a NATO member. The claim is based on a video spread via Telegram presenting military technical units circulating on the streets of an unnamed city.The Romanian Ministry of Defense denied the information. In a statement published on its web page, the Ministry said this is an old video, from November 2022, recorded in Alba Iulia city, when Romanian militaries prepared to celebrate National Day – 1 December. „Falsely, with the obvious aim of inducing panic, the video material is presented, on February 27, 2023, as "the move of Romanian air defense systems to the border with the Republic of Moldova, this morning", the Ministry said.See here a similar case claiming that the West can agree to send troops in Moldova from neighboring Romania in case of mass protests in Moldova and here a case stating that Moldova is preparing for war.See our article on the recent Russian psychological pressure on Moldova here.

NATO, War in Ukraine

27.02.2023

The US wants to silence the situation about the Nord Stream investigation

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-us-wants-to-silence-the-situation-about-the-nord-stream-investigation

sputniknews.lat

US, Russia, Germany

Spanish

After the publication of an article by US journalist Seymour Hersh highlighting that the US remotely detonated the explosives that blew the Nord Stream pipelines under president Biden’s orders, the US try to downplay the situation and defend their stance that Russian special services are involved in the sabotage, while not allowing Russia to take part in the investigation. The US Administration try to silence the situation.

This is part of a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to amplify and exploit Seymour Hersh’s controversial article accusing the US of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines. The article can’t be considered an evidence of this: it is based on a single, unidentified anonymous source and published in Hersh’s personal blog, so no editorial team was involved in its preparation. Some of its affirmations have been credibly debunked by journalists, experts and OSINT researchers, such as claims about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cooperating with the US since the Vietnam War (who was 15 at the time this war ended), the use of the M350 Alta ship (which had been out of use since 2012 and sent to the scrapyard in 2022), or that a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian Navy was involved to detonate the explosives (none of Norway’s P-8 was remotely closer to the area of the explosions). Other allegations have been reported as highly implausible, such as the presence of this single source in all the preparatory meetings for the operation; that selected members of the US Congress and other government agencies weren’t informed out of need for maximum secrecy, but then Norway was enrolled and Sweden and Denmark would have been informed at some point; or that this top-secret operation was carried out during the BALTOPS military exercises, attended and closely watched by multiple NATO countries.The White House dismissed Hersh’s report as ‘utterly false and complete fiction(opens in a new tab).’ Similarly, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called(opens in a new tab) the allegations ‘nonsense.’ However, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities have massively reported and commented on it as if this allegation had been proven. Apart from the great attention from Kremlin key propaganda outlets, it has been the main point used by Russian Minister Lavrov to demand the UNSC address the issue with an international investigation.Talking about unsubstantiated allegations as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations, as in this case, is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Joe Biden wanted to freeze Germany by destroying the Nord Stream, that American officials admit that the explosions at NS1 and NS2 were their work, that Western sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines caused an environmental disaster, or that sabotaging Nord Stream was the stupidest US action in years.

Nord Stream 2, Intelligence services

27.02.2023

The weapons sent to Ukraine end up in the hands of criminal groups in Sweden

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/report/the-weapons-sent-to-ukraine-end-up-in-the-hands-of-criminal-groups-in-sweden

sputniknews.lat

Sweden, Ukraine

Spanish

The weapons sent to Ukraine end up in the hands of criminal groups in Sweden. Weapons smugglers from Gothenburg receive offers to buy weapons coming to Ukraine to be sold afterwards to gangs in the Nordic country, according to information in Swedish media.

The claim is a disingenuous manipulation to promote a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative against supporting Ukraine. Although there is preliminary evidence showing that some small arms provided by Western countries may have been diverted by traffickers to criminal gangs in certain countries in northern Europe, this story deliberately distorts these cases, portraying them as much more widespread and dangerous than they actually are.In October 2022, a top official at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, Detective Superintendent Christer Ahlgren, told the Finnish public broadcaster Yle that his office had received preliminary information that criminals in Finland might have captured military arms, such as assault rifles, meant for Ukrainian forces, and that weapons shipped to Ukraine had “also been found in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands”. Similar comments were made by the weapons smuggling expert at the Swedish Customs Office Jesper Liedholm to Sverige Radio in February 2023.However, this disinformation story uses the formula “the weapons sent to Ukraine”, implying that all arms provided to this country are smuggled, instead of the tiny fraction that really are. The ultimate goal is to erode public support for Western military and financial aid to help Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s aggression in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51.See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the US is prolonging war in Ukraine to benefit from weapons sales, that Western military aid to Ukraine only will cause more suffering, or that international support for Ukraine starts to decrease due to corruption.

Invasion of Ukraine, War in Ukraine, Organised crime, Crime