Disinfo: Berlin sets a course of containment towards Russia

Summary

Berlin has embarked on a course to contain Russia, but the tensions can be overcome in favour of the interests of both countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry declared that accusations by Berlin would continue the anti-Russian line in relation to the Navalny case. It was also an attempt to shift the responsibility for its own unwillingness to cooperate with Moscow in this case onto others.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on anti-Russian policy in Europe, portraying Western governments and institutions as Russophobic and trying to harm Russia. This is also part of a disinformation narrative portraying the poisoning of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny as unfounded and targeted against Russia. Germany does not set a course of containment towards Russia. According to Germany's Foreign Ministry, dialogue with Russia remains important. Among others, the Petersburg dialogue, which includes ten working groups on various aspects of society and meets once a year, is an important bilateral forum for German-Russian dialogue. The two countries also organise events in joint German-Russian years, which focus on a particular topic relevant to bilateral collaboration. From an economic perspective, Germany is Russia’s largest trade partner after China. For its part, Germany primarily exports machinery, vehicles and vehicle parts to Russia. Moreover, Germany and Russia enjoy a lively exchange in the cultural and educational sectors. The youth exchange is promoted in various ways, including through the Foundation for German-Russian Youth Exchange. Nevertheless, the two countries’ political relations are overshadowed by Russia’s violations of fundamental principles enshrined in international law such as its annexation of Crimea, actions in eastern Ukraine and the recent poisoning of Alexei Navalny. The German reaction to the Navalny case is not an anti-Russia line. The poisoning of Navalny was confirmed in three independent laboratories. The German Federal government said that toxicological tests provided “unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group” in Navalny's blood samples. The European Union also condemned the poisoning in the strongest possible terms. Read similar disinformation cases alleging that the situation with Navalny is a massive disinformation campaign of Western countries, that events in Belarus and unfounded claims of Navalny’s poisoning aim at destabilising Russia and that there is no evidence Navalny was poisoned; Washington and Brussels want sanctions.

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Sputnik Germany (Archived)
Sputnik Germany (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 214
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 01/10/2020
  • Outlet language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Germany, Russia
  • Keywords: Sergei Lavrov, West, Anti-Russian, Alexei Navalny, Russophobia
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Disinfo: The only inspiration for the Polish foreign policy are the phone calls from the US Embassy

The only inspiration for the Polish foreign policy is the orders from Washington, and more precisely – the phone calls from the US Ambassador Mosbacher. As long as this situation continues, the Polish diplomacy will not need any true inspiration.

Sep 30, 2020
Disproof

A common pro-Kremlin narrative on “lost sovereignty”, Poland and the US presence in Europe. The statement that the US authorities and the US Embassy in Warsaw have a decisive impact on the formation of the foreign policy of Poland is a conspiracy theory. Poland is an independent state, which shapes its own foreign and domestic policies. Read more about the key aspects of the Polish foreign policy here. See other messages promoting the statement that Poland is not a sovereign state - Poland is not a sovereign state; Poland is not perceived as a country with an independent foreign policy, and Poland is governed by the US Embassy. This message appeared in the same article as the claim that the Three Seas Initiative is an American project against the European Union.

Disinfo: The Three Seas Initiative is an American project against the European Union

No one outside Warsaw sees the success of the Three Seas Initiative – the Polish authorities present this “fantasy” project as if it already existed. There is one interesting sentence in the recent article of a new Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau – he states that the Three Seas Initiative, this American project for Europe, is limited to the countries of the European Union. This statement is important as so far, Poland has claimed to be the Ambassador of non-EU countries – Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, etc. (what was in line with the American recommendations). Suddenly, [in the case of the Three Seas Initiative], Poland limits itself within the EU countries – in this situation, it becomes clear that the Three Seas Initiative is an American project against the European Union.

Sep 30, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe. The Three Seas Initiative is a forum of 12 countries from Central and Eastern Europe launched in 2015. The main goal of this Initiative is to promote better connectivity among the Member States, with a particular focus on infrastructure and energy. The main projects discussed at the forums of the Three Seas Initiative are the Via Carpathia, Baltic-Adriatic Corridor, Via Baltica, Rail Baltica and the LNG infrastructure in Poland and Croatia. See similar messages such as Three Seas Initiative is a geopolitical concept designed to promote American interests, Aim of the Eastern Partnership is to separate Russia’s neighbours from it, and Three Seas Initiative is a tool of American hegemony in post-Soviet areas surrounding Russia. This message appeared in the same article as the claim that the only inspiration for the Polish foreign policy are the phone calls from the US Embassy.

Disinfo: Trump faced several coup attempts, including the impeachment and the Russian collusion fraud

President Donald Trump faced political persecution, and had to defend himself even against the several coup attempts, such as the impeachment and the fraud of the Russian collusion.

Sep 30, 2020
Disproof

Conspiracy theory, with no evidence provided to support the claim. This is a recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an alleged plot against president Donald Trump by undemocratic powers, articulated through a “fake Russiagate” and an impeachment process. The 2019 impeachment was not a coup attempt but an entirely legal procedure contemplated by the US Senate legislation, whose aim was to determine whether President Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanours by 1) pressing a foreign government (Ukraine's) to harm a domestic political rival, former vice president and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and 2) trying to impede a Congressional investigation by blocking testimony and refusing to provide documents in response to House subpoenas. Regarding to collusion with Russia, there were plenty of reasons for US authorities to open an investigation, as the Volume 5 of the Intelligence Committee of the US Senate on Russian Interference in the 2016 election (released in August 2020) shows, which highlights many elements that were not cleared by the previous Mueller Report. Though Mueller’s inquiry only had stated that the investigation “did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities”, it unequivocally established that Russia attempted to interfere in the election on Trump’s favour. Pro-Kremlin disinformation, however, has repeatedly portrayed Mueller’s work as proof that there was no such interference and that Russia is always falsely accused. See other examples of these disinformation narratives, such as claims that the Deep State is behind the racial justice protests in the US; that Trump’s impeachment was a failed plot by a group of Democrats obsessed with Soros, who had links to the whistleblower who triggered the inquiry; that the NYT story on Trump’s tax returns proves that the Russiagate is a hoax; that the CIA is organising a colour revolution in the US to oust Trump after the 2020 election; or that US Democrats are trying to destroy Trump and incite a civil war. This disinformation message appeared in the same article as the claim that “Biden refused to condemn street violence because he fears losing electoral weight.”