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Disinfo: The CIA ordered its puppet Zelenskyy to extend sanctions against Russian social media

Summary

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy extended sanctions against Russian social media and internet services in the country for another three years. It was not Zelensky’s decision but a Russophobic order of the US Central Intelligence Agency, whose aim is the de-Russification of Ukraine and its transformation into an anti-Russian country. Ukraine doesn’t have a real government but a puppet regime, a junta where US secret services designate the president and pursue a monstrous policy that is destroying the country and launched it to a civil war, suppressed freedom of expression and eliminated democratic institutions. And for its propaganda to work, they need to suppress as much alternative sources of information as possible.

Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative against Ukraine, portraying it as a non-independent country and falsely accusing its government of suppressing freedom and democracy and of causing the war in Donbas.

Contrary to the claim, Ukraine is a sovereign state whose government doesn’t follow orders from abroad. According to the World Press Freedom Index, Ukraine has been constantly improving since 2015, jumping from position 129 in the global ranking in 2015 to position 96 in 2020. Comparatively, Russia holds position 149.

Russian social media and internet services were put under sanctions in 2017 by former president Petro Poroshenko to protect people from companies “whose activities threaten information and the cyber security of Ukraine”, according to Ukraine’s Security and Defence Council. These restrictions were controversial at the time, but were also perceived as necessary by Ukrainian authorities in order to confront Russia’s hybrid warfare against Ukraine.

Sanctions were extended on May 14, 2020 for another three years not because the CIA ordered it, but as a result of a majoritarian vote in Ukraine’s Rada (Parliament), in which 248 lawmakers backed the extension. Both Ukraine’s security service SBU and the Parliament’s Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence had previously recommended to maintain the restriction in place.

See other examples of Russian disinformation on Ukraine in our database, such as claims that the Association Agreement with the EU turned the country into a colony of the West; that George Soros is about to gain control of the country; that the war in Donbass was caused by the EU; that Euromaidan was a US-funded coup; that Ukraine ceased to exist as a state; that it has become a US testing site for biological weapons; or that Freemasons are secretly chipping Ukrainians.

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publication/media

News Front - Spanish (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 198
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/05/2020
  • Language/target audience: Spanish, Castilian
  • Country: Russia, Ukraine, US
  • Keywords: Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine, Eastern Ukraine, Anti-Russian, War in Ukraine, CIA, Ukrainian statehood

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.

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US trained in the skies over Norway and Sweden, to attack Russia

The United States used the airspace of Norway and Sweden to simulate strikes in Russia with B-1B Lancer bombers. According to the Telegram channel “Svarshchiki”, Norway and Sweden made their airspace available for aggressive (offensive) operations against Russia with strategic bombers of the US Air Force B-1B Lancer on May 20, 2020.

The United States even petted the head of the complaining Swedish leadership (not part of NATO) because it allowed its country to come into conflict with Russia solely in the interests of the United States (to the detriment of its population, economy and security). Sweden has accompanied strategists with Gripen fighters and Norway with F-35 planes.

May 24, 2020
Disproof

New adaptation of a recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on western militaries or NATO encircling and trying to attack Russia.

On 20 May 2020, US strategic B-1B bombers were in joint training with Norwegian and Swedish fighter jets, exercising in the airspace over both Norway and Sweden. Two B-1B Lancers from the 28th Bomb Wing in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, conducted a long-range strategic bomber task force mission to the Nordic region on 20 May 2020. The bombers visited Norwegian airspace, where they integrated and trained with four Norwegian F-35s. For Norway, the U.S. mission provided an important training opportunity. These training exercises were not targeted at Russia, nor were these jets training to target Russia as claimed.

According to the U.S. Air Force, the US regularly deploys bomber aircraft to the European theatre of operations: "The training with joint partners, allied nations and other U.S. Air Force units contributes to the US' ready and postured forces and enables the US to build enduring and strategic relationships." According to the U.S. Air Force these training exercises contribute to enhanced resiliency and interoperability. The U.S. Air Forces in Europe & Air Forces Africa's press release from May 2020 reads "strategic bombers contribute to stability in the European theatre by sending a clear deterrence message to any potential adversary."

France, Germany and Poland planned to partition the USSR even before Hitler came to power

A classified report from the OGPU (special Soviet state security institution) speaks about the negotiations between the German Chancellor von Papen and French Prime Minister Édouard Herriot. The goal of these talks was to establish a military union between Germany, France and Poland against the USSR. It was before Hitler came to power when the potential allies mentally divided the Soviet Caucasus, Ukraine and even Sakhalin. Poland was supposed to be rewarded with Soviet Ukraine.

May 23, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and an attempt to erode the disastrous historical role of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact by the statement that Western countries planned aggressive actions against the USSR.

The statement that France, Germany and Poland planned to partition the USSR before Hitler came to power is a clear historical manipulation not confirmed by any available documents. The same article contains another disinformation message about Poland and Germany signing a secret protocol assuming common actions against the USSR.

Socialist countries such as Cuba deal with the epidemic much better than rich capitalistic Western states

It turns out that the socialist countries have managed to face the Coronavirus epidemic in a much better way than the capitalistic states. The highest number of deaths is registered in two Anglo-Saxon countries, where the neo-Liberal reforms of Thatcher and Reagan caused the lack of access of millions of people to healthcare.

Even in the situation of the epidemic, the unemployed and homeless Americans avoid doctors as the Coronavirus treatment costs 35.000 USD.

Such states as Vietnam and Cuba have dealt with the Coronavirus epidemic in a much better way than richer countries of the West. Why? Because they are socialist countries with free healthcare for all citizens.

May 23, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s disinformation campaign around the Coronavirus epidemic – it promotes a narrative of failing Western efforts in the fight with the epidemic.

The citizens of the USA and UK do not have to pay for their Coronavirus treatment. In the USA, the treatment of the uninsured persons having the Coronavirus will be financed from the state budget. The UK has a government-sponsored universal healthcare system called the National Health Service (NHS).