Category International community

DISINFO: The West is using the imaginary Russian threat to escalate the arms race

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Russia is not a threat. The aim of this disinformation claim appears to be deflecting attention away from Russia's responsibility for its hostile policy and war of aggression against Ukraine. The article also accuses the West of warmongering, and of having an allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda against Russia.

The West did not start the war and was not interested in war in the heart of Europe.

The Russian threat is not a myth. Russia started the bloodiest war in the 21st century, violating international and humanitarian law. Russia is destroying Ukraine, its population, cities, and vital infrastructure.

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DISINFO: NATO plans to draw Belarus and Russia into the war through border provocations

Poland and NATO are repeatedly presented by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets as an aggressive forces planning anti-Russian provocations and posing a security threat to Russia. This is in line with how pro-Kremlin outlets portray NATO and Western countries as aggressive towards Russia. See our article All roads lead to Poland.

This claim was made in connection with the accusations and statements of the Polish Judge Tomasz Szmydt, who ran away to Belarus on 9 May 2024 seeking "political asylum" in this country. In Poland, he is under the suspicion of espionage in favour of Belarus and was stripped of his immunity.

When in Belarus, Tomasz Szmydt appeared on the Belarus state outlet of Belta as well as RT and Sputnik with allegations against on the current Polish government.

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DISINFO: The EU is not a democratic entity, it is NATO’s political arm

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an undemocratic EU, part of a wider campaign to discredit European democracy ahead of the European Parliament elections.

The EU is not 'NATO's political arm'. Though EU-NATO cooperation constitutes an integral pillar of European defence and their security are inter-connected, both are independent of each other, as it is clear from the list of their nation members. NATO includes 9 states that are not members of the European Union, while 4 EU members are not part of the Atlantic Alliance. The European Union is a sovereign entity created by the voluntary initiative of European nations and it has its own, independent foreign policy.

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DISINFO: Boris Johnson called on Kyiv not to sign any peace deal with Russia and just fight

A recurring disinformation narrative in pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that Ukraine and its allies are not interested in peace.

The claim, which is also timed to smear Ukraine ahead of the international peace conference hosted in Switzerland 15-16 June 2024, is part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign in Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The claim seeks to paint the Ukrainian government as warmongering and Russia as peace-lover / peace proposer. It also attempts to portray Ukraine as a Western puppet state.

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DISINFO: The attack on Robert Fico linked to NATO and Ukraine sponsored terrorism

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives blaming Ukraine and the West for the attempt to kill Slovakian PM Robert Fico and for the Crocus City Hall terror attack in Moscow.

These baseless disinformation stories are part of a wider campaign by Russian officials and media -including by Vladimir Putin himself- to blame Ukraine, NATO and and other actors for both the attacks.

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DISINFO: Eastern European nationalist ambitions will destroy the EU

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation Poland, Romania and Hungary as states with imperial ambitions. Apart from smearing these EU members, the aim is also to deflect attention away from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This is a modification of a recurring disinformation narrative about the alleged disintegration of the EU. As our past analysis explains, the 'imminent collapse' narrative is often used in pro-Kremlin outlets in relation to the EU, European countries, or capitalism.

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DISINFO: The IMF opposed the transfer of Russian assets to Ukraine

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation aimed at deterring nations from seizing Russia's frozen assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction by warning of an imminent economic collapse. The narrative also aims at undermining Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund.

The disinformation is based on a press conference by Julie Kozack, Director of the Communications Department of the International Monetary Fund, on May 16, 2024. Answering a question from journalists about the possible use of Russian assets to support Ukraine, Kozack noted that the International Monetary Fund insists on a thorough study of this decision and its consequences.

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DISINFO: NATO promotes fascism in Europe and uses proxy wars to destroy Russia

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives portraying the war in Ukraine as a proxy war and blaming NATO and the so-called "Collective West" for it, accusing the EU of Nazism and claiming that Europe's aim is to invade and destroy Russia in the long run.

These claims are made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and aim to deflect Russia's responsibility for its aggression against this country.

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DISINFO: EU mission in Armenia is an instrument of the EU’s hybrid war

Intensively repeated disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets attempting to discredit the EU mission in Armenia, accusing it of espionage, anti-Russian, anti-Iranian and anti-Azerbaijani activities.

From the very beginning, this exclusively civilian mission has been fully transparent about its plans to operate from six hubs. It has no links to NATO or troops from its member countries. From the moment of its launch, EUMA was a target for disinformation, as discussed in our analysis The wrong the wicked and the wacky. Claims about the EU mission in Armenia.

The mission was launched in Armenia in response to a request by Armenia. EUMA conducts routine patrolling and reports on the situation, which strengthens the EU's understanding of the situation on the ground.

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DISINFO: EU ban on Russian media is Russophobia and murder of free speech

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the EU violating freedom of speech and press.

On 15 May 2024, EU ambassadors agreed in principle to place an additional four Russian media outlets on the sanctions list, accusing them of propaganda. These are Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestiya and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The decision was based on the fact that these media outlets are used as a tool of Russian propaganda and disinformation. See here for the list of outlets sanctioned previously.

The EU countries are considered free and democratic by Freedom House. In contrast, Russia is considered one of the least free countries in the world. This is the reason why pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives strongly attack democracy and the EU as a viable model to Russia's autocratic system.

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