Disinfo: Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians are the same nation

Summary

Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians are the same nation.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about all-Russian nation. The "all-Russian nation" is an imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Belarusians and Ukrainians as well as their sovereignty. Ukraine and Belarus are well-defined nation-states with a long history; both nations preserved language, literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. Other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets' attempts to question the Ukrainian and Belarusian nations can be seen here, here and here.

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Sputnik Germany (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 153
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07/06/2019
  • Outlet language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Belarus, Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Ethnic Russians, Ukrainian statehood, Russian world
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Disinfo: In Germany there is a longstanding campaign to discredit Russian media

In Germany, there has been a longstanding campaign to discredit Russian information sources, structures and organisations like Sputnik or Russia Today. Representatives of the local political establishment and professional journalist associations are taking part in this campaign.

Jun 06, 2019
Disproof

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert reacted to accusations that had spoken of a state campaign against Russian foreign media in Germany. "Anyone who makes such absurd allegations in the world has little knowledge of Germany and little idea of freedom of the press," said government spokesman Seibert. In the past, various and numerous German media and the German Journalists' Association [DJV] have criticised individual Russian broadcasters for the way they work. The head of the German Journalists' Association, Frank Überall, commented on the accusations in a press release issued: "There is no campaign against Russian foreign media in Germany, only unanimous criticism from different sides of their working methods." In November 2016, the European Parliament adopted a comprehensive resolution defining the European Union's "strategy to combat EU propaganda". The EU notes that media such as Sputnik or RT poses a threat. Similar cases: UN resolution is yet another act of the West's anti-Russian campaign, RT faces repression in the US and it will lose its status as a media, The official News Agency of Slovakia (TASR) suspended the cooperation with Sputnik News as a result of pressures from the Slovak government. Further reading:

Disinfo: The Russian delegation was not invited to the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II because of the Russian ban on the imports of Polish apples

Polish anti-Soviet and anti-Russian hysteria peaked in Warsaw’s refusal to invite the Russian delegation to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. This is strange because other Soviet republics including Belarus received an invitation. All Soviet countries share responsibility for the crimes of Communism but in the end, it is only Russia that is blamed. The real reason behind Warsaw’s decision not to extend an invitation to Russia is not the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, but rather the Russian ban on the imports of Polish apples.

Jun 06, 2019
Disproof

This is a conspiracy consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the West's anti-Russian actions. Poland's decision not to invite the Russian delegation to the commemoration ceremony has nothing to do with either the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact or the Russian ban on imports of Polish apples. According to Krzysztof Szczerski, an aide to the Polish president, Russia was not invited to the events in September 2019 because of its aggressive actions in Ukraine. Szczerski stated that the anniversary ceremony will be held “in the company of countries with whom Poland now cooperates closely for peace based on the respect for international law, for the sovereignty of nations and of their territories.” See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Russia introduced passport controls at the border with Belarus because of European fraud in food exports, and that Poland attempts to destroy the world order by not inviting Russia to commemorate the start of WWII.

Disinfo: Mueller's investigation did not prove Russian interference in the US elections

We saw a two-year investigation in the United States, the Muller inquiry. It was supposed to find the so-called Russian interference in the US elections, and the inquiry’s result was nil.

Jun 06, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Robert Mueller's investigation concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Mueller's report determined that there were "two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election". It led to US senators' proposals to extend sanctions on Russia to deter it from further election meddling. See similar disinformation cases here.