Disinfo: Colour revolutions led countries to captivity rather than freedom

Summary

It is impossible to impose anything from the outside. Objective and logical reasons for change to occur must exist, so that change comes from within, and not intrusive from outside using the technology of colour revolutions. We see its examples embodied in Ukraine and before that in Georgia and Moldova, as we see the tense political conditions and the collapsed economies of these countries. Their misleading political elites thought that they were leading their countries towards “freedom” and “democracy” to only find themselves falling into the trap of the IMF's control, dependence on the West, and being captive to the political will of the European Union and NATO.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative that paints all manifestations of popular discontent as colour revolutions orchestrated from abroad.

Some of the so-called "colour revolutions" in former Soviet Union countries include the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia in 2008, the Moldovan protests in 2009 and Maidan protest in Ukraine in 2014, which are explicitly mentioned in the article.

Behind the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia, there were different political, economical and social reasons. The protests in Tbilisi continued from 2 November to 23 November 2003 and, as the result, the former president of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze resigned and Mikheil Saakashvili came to power.

The protests against the 2009 parliamentary elections result in Moldova were a spontaneous outbreak of popular discontent. However, findings by European institutions, including the European Parliament, the OSCE and the Council of Europe concluded that "elections took place in an overall pluralistic environment, offering voters distinct political alternatives and meeting many of the OSCE and Council of Europe commitments".

At the time, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged protesters to avoid violence and encouraged authorities to let peaceful demonstrations go ahead. The US also called on all parties to refrain from violence and declared that it shares the OSCE's assessment about the elections. After massive protests, repeated parliamentary elections were held in Moldova and centre-right and pro-European parties came to power.

Finally, in Ukraine the spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was a reaction from several segments of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013, after pressure from Russia.

Peaceful protests, cooperation with the West, and NGOs do not lead to the destruction of states in the post-Soviet region. Many conflicts in the region are a result of direct armed aggression of Russia, such as in the case of Ukraine or Georgia. Russian involvement in the military operations in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Crimea and Eastern Ukraine has been established.

Read similar stories that Colour revolutions and NGOs lead to the destruction of states, Armenia is an example, Conflicts in post-Soviet space are part of the policy of containment of Russia, The Western-backed coup in Ukraine has torn the country asunder.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 258
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 02/09/2021
  • Article language(s) Arabic
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, US, EU
  • Keywords: Colour revolutions, IMF, NATO, Democracy, Euromaidan, Coup
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Disinfo: Polish fence on the border with Belarus is meant to frighten Poles with a perspective of war

The ruling Polish elite is trying to cut all ties with the East using the rhetoric of war. The most recent manifestation of this process is the construction of a fence on the Polish-Belarusian border. This border fence has a primarily a symbolic meaning – it is supposed to introduce a permanent division between "us" and "them", creating an additional barrier against the East. The border fence sends a message that it is necessary to prepare for war – it frightens the society with the perspective of war.

Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative about the ongoing migration crisis on the eastern border of the European Union directly caused by the Belarusian authorities.

On 23 August 2021, the Polish authorities announced the construction of the fence on the border with Belarus to stop the ongoing influx of irregular migrants orchestrated by the Belarusian regime. According to the position of the Polish authorities, the ongoing situation on the Belarusian border is a hybrid attack on Poland in order to destabilise the country and the entire EU.

Disinfo: Lithuania does not want to help investigate the genocide of the Belarusian people

Lithuania refuses to provide legal aid for Belarus in the criminal case regarding the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War. Earlier Belarus asked to interrogate identified members of the Lithuanian punitive battalion, including Valdemar Hubert Laimutis Adamkevicius who is non-other than the former president of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus.

Disproof

The message exploits a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Nazi/Fascist Baltic States.

The current “genocide of Belarusian people” case by Belarusian prosecutors lacks evidence and is based on doubtful legal and historical ground (see public broadcaster LRT publication “Minsk seeks to extradite members of ‘Lithuanian SS batalion’ that never existed”).

Disinfo: Poland replaces the anniversary of the WWII outbreak with the date of the Soviet invasion

Poland appears on the way to oblivion. For several decades, the anniversary of 1 September has been gradually pushed out of public awareness by the commemoration of 17 September. There is a slow process of transformation of historical consciousness and the historical identity of the Poles in the direction consistent with the current political interests.

Therefore, in the sphere of historical symbolism, 1 September is mentioned less and less, and is replaced by 17 September. This situation fits the artificially constructed historical and international identity of Poland. Today, Poland looks for its only ally overseas [the USA], while it appears in conflict with all its neighbours.

Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it repeatedly accuses Poland of the “falsification and re-writing” of its history for political goals.

The claims that Poland tries to replace the 1 September anniversary [date of German invasion - WWII outbreak] with the commemoration of 17 September [date of the Soviet invasion] is untrue. Every year, September 1 is commemorated on the highest state level with the participation of the top-level Polish officials (annual ceremonies at Wieluń and Westerplatte).