Disinfo: Britain and US are organising the protests in Hong Kong

Summary

Britain and America have been caught red handed organizing the protests in Hong Kong.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory, suggesting any demonstration and expression of popular discontent is staged by foreign, malevolent, actors. Similar cases can be found here. Hong Kong protests started in June 2019 over a controversial extradition law, but have expanded to call for Hong Kong's leader to step down, an inquiry into alleged police brutality, for those who have been arrested to be released and greater democratic freedoms

Go to search

publication/media

Strategic Culture Foundation
  • Reported in: Issue 160
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17/08/2019
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: China, UK, US
  • Keywords: Protest, Conspiracy theory
see more

Disinfo: Washington is behind Latvia's decision to buy Belarusian-produced energy

It is an illusion that the Latvian government changed its policies and suddenly started caring about the people; put a stop to psychiatric Russophobia; stopping attempts to revise the results of WWII results and to rehabilitate fascism. Latvia’s decision to trade energy on the border with Russia, not through Lithuania as before, could not be adopted without the US’s approval. Such geopolitical deals cannot be made by Latvia without Washington, just as the issues of moderate importance have to be agreed in Brussels. The US’s intention seems to increase leverage over Belarus by intensifying its economic dependence on Latvia. At some point in the future, if no concessions are made by the Belarusian authorities over some matters, Washington will be able to blackmail Minsk, saying that Latvia will interrupt imports of Belarusian energy.

Aug 16, 2019
Disproof

This is a conspiracy which continues a series of disinformation attempts concerning the construction of the Belarusian NPP. It is consistent with recurring narratives about Latvia as a vassal state of the US and the prevalence of fascism and Russophobia in the Baltic countries. Taken that Lithuania considers the Belarusian NPP as insecure and intends to end energy imports from Belarus and that until recently, the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, had been serving the Baltic states as the only point of trade in energy with third countries, Latvia decided to open an energy trade point at the Latvian-Russian border. It is groundless speculation that Latvia sought Washington’s approval to make this decision. Instead, as the Latvian government stated, it consulted neighbouring Estonia and Lithuania and the European Commission over this issue. See previous disinformation cases alleging that Latvia lost its sovereignty to the EU, that its authorities destroyed national banking sector on Washington orders, and that Nazis rule present-time Latvia. Finally, the accusation that Latvia is attempting to revise the results of WWII, it is actually Russia who has published a series of disinformation attempts on this over the past weeks, see, for instance, here, here, here, and here.

Disinfo: The EU plans to to take over Russia and to ruin Belarus just as it did to Ukraine

The EU has not yet come to the point when it begins to crumble, but its expansionist policy has reached its limits. To overcome this deadlock, the EU hopes to take over the Russian market. The US and UK have clearly placed their bets on a Russian Maidan. The EU also favours this idea but acts more cautiously. Hence, the EU and its ruling elites, the German financial elite in particular, are Russia’s enemies. In order to keep going, the EU has to expand to the East and to conquer new territories. This is why it has fought fiercely to keep Ukraine in its orbit. By taking over Russian partner states (Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, etc.) the EU intends to demonstrate to its own citizens that it is a developing machine. Expansionism and takeover of the new living space aim at looting wild Eastern lands. According to EU logic, Belarus should be ruined just as Ukraine was.

Aug 16, 2019
Disproof

This is a conspiracy consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives on Western belligerence towards Russia and its allies including Belarus, Western policies to stage colour revolutions in Russia and its neighbourhood, the EU's imminent collapse, and the EU's aggressive policies towards Ukraine and its economy The EU has never staged nor does it intend to stage a stage a colour revolution in Russia or any other country. EU-Ukrainian economic relations developed thanks to the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), signed in 2014. The total bilateral trade turnout increased to 50 bln USD in 2018. During 2015-2018, Ukraine also increased its exports to the EU from 13 bln USD to 23 bln USD. Overall, in 2018 Ukrainian exports to the EU increased by 13,1%. Now, the EU accounts for almost half of Ukrainian exports. Politically, the EU condemns the clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that if the country refuses to join the EU, it is punished with a Maidan, that the US is waging a ''colour revolution'' against Russia, and that the EU triggered conflict in Ukraine in 2014.

Disinfo: The EU sanctions against Russia were introduced to prevent the development of the Eurasian Economic Union

The establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union was taken by Brussels as a declaration of war. Post-Soviet integration provoked the EU’s fury. This is one of the main reasons, if not the key one, behind EU sanctions against Russia.

Aug 16, 2019
Disproof

This message is a conspiracy consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about the West's anti-Russian activities and attempts to disrupt Russia's relations with allies.

The founding treaty of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was signed by Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia on 29 May 2014, followed later by Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. The EAEU came into existence on 1 January 2015. Its establishment, however, has nothing to do with the reasons for the EU"s sanctions against Russia. The first round of EU sanctions against Russia was introduced on 17 March 2014. The first bans and freezes assets were imposed on individuals involved in actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. Later, in July 2014, in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in eastern Ukraine, the EU imposed economic sanctions and reinforced them in September 2014. In March 2015, the European Council linked the duration of those economic restrictions to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements.