Disinfo: Belarus is the target of a hybrid war, union with Russia will save it from military intervention

Summary

The recent conspiracy against Alexander Lukashenka proves that hybrid war is being waged against Belarus. Its goal is to take the authorities down by all means, including forceful mechanisms with the exemption of direct military intervention. Without alliance with Russia, western countries would consider military intervention as well.

Disproof

The disinformation message is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the aggressive West and NATO and protests in Belarus. It also tends to promote the Kremlin's view that Belarus can only preserve its sovereignty in a close political and military alliance with Russia.

There is no evidence that Western countries staged massive unprecedented protests in Belarus following the 9 August 2020 presidential elections or that they wage the so-called "hybrid war" against Belarus. Read more about this groundless claim here.

On 17 April 2021, Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko claimed he and his sons were the target of a US-backed assassination plot but did not provide any evidence.

See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the Belarusian opposition, civic activists and independent journalists make kill lists for Western security bodies, that Lukashenko skipped the Eastern Partnership summit in 2019 because the West could organise his killing and that Biden sanctioned a coup in Belarus and the kidnapping of Lukashenko's sons.

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sputnik.by (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 242
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23/04/2021
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Belarus, Russia
  • Keywords: Hybrid war, Union State of Belarus and Russia, Alexander Lukashenko
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Disinfo: Uncle Sam turned Ukraine into his colony to use as military training ground near Russia

With the support of the United States, Ukraine can organise provocations that serve as a pretext for hostilities in the Crimea region. Uncle Sam has actually already turned Ukraine into his colony, which, if desired, can be used as a large military training ground near the Russian borders. But for now, what they do, provokes Russia.

Today, provocative actions continue in the long-suffering Donbas, but on instructions from Washington, Ukrainian militants will immediately switch to another territory.

Apr 22, 2021
Disproof

Recurrent disinformation narrative portraying Ukraine as a puppet state under external control. Ukraine is not a colony, it is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine is not controlled by any foreign government or organisation. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world, including the US.

The relations between the US and Ukraine are bilateral relations between two independent countries. The USA recognised Ukraine as an independent state on 25 December 1991. US policy is centred on realising and strengthening a stable, democratic, prosperous, and free Ukraine more closely integrated into Europe and Euro-Atlantic structures.

Disinfo: Estonians no longer want to be in the EU

Estonians no longer want to be in the EU. Estonia has started collecting signatures for a petition calling for a referendum on the country leaving the EU. The initiator is the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE).

The results of the 2003 referendum on Estonia's accession to the European Union should be annulled, because, at that time, less than half of the country's citizens supported Estonia's integration into the EU and, therefore, a new referendum must be held now.

In this referendum, people must decide whether Estonia should continue to be in the EU or restore its sovereignty to such a state as of 1 May 2004.

Because of the EU membership, Estonian people have limited right to make decisions independently.

Apr 22, 2021
Disproof

The article discusses a proposal created in the The Citizen Initiative Portal rahvaalgatus.ee. The portal enables everyone to write proposals, hold discussions, compose and send digitally signed collective addresses to the Estonian Parliament.

The appeal in question has received 1656 signatures and has been sent to the Parliament to process it. Given this very low number, at this point there are no plans to have a referendum in Estonia on this matter.

Disinfo: Nazi-like Ukrainian government, along with Poland and the Baltic states, threatens Belarus

Until recently, Ukrainian neo-Nazism was believed to be a threat to Russia and Russians only. However, Ukrainian Nazism goes beyond Russophobia; it started targeting Belarus. Together with Poland and the Baltic states, Ukraine has turned into the springboard of special operations aimed at the destabilisation of the political and economic situation in Belarus.

Moreover, Kyiv began competing with Warsaw and Vilnius over the status of the major promoter of the so called democratic changes in Belarus. The Nazi-like Zelenskyy's government does not care about the well-being of Belarus, it only wants to bring the country to the West. It is not accidental that Kyiv undertook a serious military escalation in Donbas at the time when a coup attempt in Belarus was taking place.

Hence, Belarus finds itself under the fire from its neighbouring countries and the collective West. Due to the fact that Ukraine has no chances for success in direct confrontation with Russia, only destabilising posts along the whole perimeter of Russian border might work.

Apr 22, 2021
Disproof

The disinformation message is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the aggressive West and NATO, the Western attempts to instigate colour revolutions in the EU neighbourhood, and Nazi/fascist Ukraine. It also aims to blame the West and Ukraine for the recent escalation in Donbas, exempting Russia of any responsibility for its military buildup in the Ukrainian border.

There is no evidence that Western countries staged massive unprecedented protests in Belarus following the 9 August 2020 presidential elections. In fact, the Belarusian people revolted against election fraud and police violence towards thousands of rally participants. The Baltic states, Poland, and other NATO states, as well as Ukraine, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belarus, and did not intervene in its domestic affairs. Following the deployment of additional units of the Belarusian army on the country's border with Poland and Lithuania in late August 2020, the Polish Defence Ministry denied Belarusian authorities' allegations and reiterated in its official position that Poland has no territorial claims on any country.