Language:

See all Disinfo Cases - Detail

Disinfo: Belarus belongs to the Russian civilisation, its integration with the EU would mean the extinction of the Belarusian people

Summary

Belarus’s statehood formed within the all-Russian civilisation, as opposed to anti-national model and a union with Poland. Belarus-Poland union has always been anti-national as it aimed to liquidate the Belarusian people. The Belarus-Russia union, in contrast, has always been progressive. Therefore any plans about Belarus’s integration with the EU will result in the loss of the country’s independence and the extinction of the Belarusian people.

Disproof

This is a conspiracy theory consistent with recurring disinformation narratives about the all-Russian nation and Russian world/civilisation, Poland's hostile plans towards Belarus and Western attempts to destabilise Belarus.

The publication puts forward a false dilemma about the direction of Belarus' political development (union with Russia vs. an unavoidable loss of independence degradation). This false dilemma was repeatedly promoted in earlier disinformation cases here, here, and here.

See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the Union State of Belarus and Russia saves post-Soviet countries from pro-fascist West, that the West destroyed the USSR and is currently targeting the Union State between Belarus and Russia, and that the Union State between Belarus and Russia will prevent Belarus' colonisation by the US or Europe.

Go to search

publication/media

Together with Russia (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 195
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 16/04/2020
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: EU, Russia, Belarus, Poland
  • Keywords: Russian expansionism, Conspiracy theory, Russian world

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

see more

Washington backed the demolition of the statue to Soviet commander in Prague

The report of the American company Squire Patton Boggs, which substantiated the demolition of the monument to Marshal Konev in Prague, was of great importance for anti-Russian politicians in the Czech Republic. They write thousands of such reports every year. Of course, for the Czech political community, for their establishment, the report of a big American law firm is important.

If the business took place in America, no one would pay such big attention to it – for them, it would be just a report of another lobbying company, albeit a large one. For the Czech Republic, a small country, which is largely dependent on the mood in Brussels and Washington, this is of great importance for them and has become one of the points of the PR campaign in the PR war around the monument to Marshal Konev.

The Russian embassy will find out the role of the USA in the demolition of the monument to Konev. The Washington office of the company did not respond to requests. Apparently, they have something to hide.

April 28, 2020
Disproof

This is a recurring disinformation narrative about the statue of Marshall Konev in Prague. It is also consistent with common pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Russophobia and the supposedly hostile anti-Russian intentions of the West, based on which Russia can cast itself as the victim. The democratic decision to move the Konev statue to a museum has raised the ire of the Kremlin and even led Moscow to open a symbolic criminal case to investigate the alleged "defiling of symbols of Russia's military glory."

No supportive documents are given to prove the existence of an American law firm report about the statue of Marshall Konev in Prague. Even if such a report exists, it would not be binding for the democratically-elected local municipal council, which voted to the remove the statue in 2019. The leadership of Prague's Municipal District 6, which retains legal ownership of the statue, has voted to move the monument to a museum - not demolish it - and replace it with a memorial commemorating Soviet sacrifices in the fight against Hitler in general, and the liberation of Prague in particular. More information available here.

OPCW violated Chemical Weapons Convention to serve Western interests

The OPCW reputation as an authoritative expert body in the field of chemical disarmament has actually been sacrificed to the Middle East geopolitical ambitions of a small group of countries.

The Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) was set up in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Only the UN Security Council has the right to apportion blame for chemical attacks.

April 28, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attacking the independence and integrity of the OPCW, and absolving the Syrian regime of responsibility for chemical attacks.

The claim that a "small group of countries" calls the shots in the OPCW is false. The ITT was established following the Fourth Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties, during which it was decided to "put in place arrangements to identify the perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic" (p. 3, para 10). The decision passed with a majority of 82 votes against 24, satisfying the two-thirds minimum which the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires for "matters of substance" (Art. VII, para 18). In a November 2019 vote, 106 delegates voted to approve the ITT's funding, against 19 opposed. Moreover, the Team itself "includes personnel from all geographical groups."