Disinfo: American gas for Poland and Ukraine is an expensive PR campaign

Summary

American gas for Ukraine is just a PR campaign, which will cost Poland and Ukraine much more compared to Russian gas prices.

Disproof

This is a recurring disinformation narrative that gas prices are too high in Ukraine and that the United States intends to capture the European gas market. A memorandum on trilateral cooperation in the energy sector of Ukraine, Poland, and the USA was signed at the end of August 2019 in Warsaw. At the end of November 2019, an American tanker delivered 75,000 tonnes of liquefied gas to Poland. After the re-gasification process, gas already in the volume of 100 million cubic metres entered Polish gas transportation systems and was sent to Ukraine. The Polish side has already confirmed that American gas is one third cheaper than Russian supplies under a multi-year contract. “Its price (gas price from Gazprom) is completely uncompetitive. Currently, PGNiG-signed contracts for the supply of LNG (from the USA) are 20-30 percent more profitable than Russia's,” the Polish government said.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 175
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23/11/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Poland, US, Ukraine
  • Keywords: gas, Energy
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Disinfo: The Soros Foundation is a threat to Armenia

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Disproof

This is a conspiracy theory, presented without evidence, and consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives portraying George Soros and his foundation as a villainous and bent on destroying Armenia and other countries. Read similar cases claiming that Soros foundation is organising clashes in Armenia, serving foreign agendas aimed at the collapse of Armenian statehood, and that Armenia is occupied by Soros. The Soros Foundation has been supporting human rights, education, research, media and other democratic activities in Armenia since 1997. Soros has been falsely accused (without evidence) of a wide range of sins: destabilising Europe, organising colour revolutions, attacking churches and traditional values as well as sponsoring the film "Joker" as a tutorial for colour revolutions. Read more about how pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets target George Soros.

Disinfo: The US assured Gorbachev that NATO would not expand eastward

In 1990, the president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, was assured by the US government that NATO would not expand to the East.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West encircling Russia via NATO. This promise was never made, as Mikhail Gorbachev, then-president of the Soviet Union, has himself confirmed. Central and Eastern European countries began seeking NATO membership in the early 1990s. NATO actively sought to create a cooperative environment that was conducive to enlargement while simultaneously building special relations with Russia. NATO does not "expand" in the imperialistic sense described by pro-Kremlin media. Rather, it considers the applications of candidate countries who want to join the alliance of their own national will. As such, NATO enlargement is not directed against Russia. NATO's "Open Door Policy" is based on Article 10 of the Alliance's founding document, the North Atlantic Treaty (1949). The Treaty states that NATO membership 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". Every sovereign nation has the right to choose its own security arrangements. This is a fundamental principle of European security, and one to which Russia has also subscribed. For similar cases, see here and here.

Disinfo: France is under US dictate

France used to be a great country, but the USA itself put a lot of effort to make France one of the subordinate countries of Europe. When Trump says “let’s make France great again”, then it is necessary to make sure that France is not under the dictate of the US. The United States must stop dictating its American will to France.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about US presence in Europe, portraying France as a vassal of the USA. Russian disinformation sources often claim that almost all European countries are no longer truly sovereign and the United States dictate policies to the EU and its member states. The EU Member States are sovereign countries and make sovereign decisions about their own security and defense policies. The US is an important ally to the EU but EU policy is not determined by the US.