The US keeps breaking negative records of infected and deaths from coronavirus, but instead of blaming the US health system or the lack of measures adopted by the authorities at the beginning of the pandemic, the New York Times is already pointing to Putin. According to the newspaper, over the decades the Russian president has made the collapse of the US health system and the loss of confidence of Americans in their doctors his personal motivation, undermining the healthcare month after month and year after year through anti-vaccination campaigns and other strategies until its final collapse. The article uses arguments such as that the Kremlin envies the number of Nobel Prizes awarded to US scientists so it tried to destroy its foundations. The fact that this kind of articles always point to Russia after a concrete problem exploded suggests that their aim is to find a scapegoat and divert attention from the real causes.
Large numbers of coronavirus infections in the US and other NATO countries military point at the weak military organisation of the collective West. The US interrupted the service of its two aircraft carriers in the Pacific due to the epidemic. Many NATO military programs and exercises, including Defender Europe 2020, stopped due to identification of 5 coronavirus cases in the NATO headquarters in Belgium. High-ranking military officers are diagnosed with coronavirus in Poland and Italy. The situation is aggravating in the NATO battalions located in Lithuania and Latvia. UK and Greek military were also affected. In contrast, the Russian army runs a system of epidemiological protection which allows Russia to implement all military plans as scheduled. Earlier Russia’s Defence Minister noted that the Russian army has no coronavirus cases.
This is part of recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about coronavirus and alleged disintegration of the EU, NATO and other Western bodies.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic NATO's essential work continues and its ability to conduct operations remains intact. The European Union is supporting the Member States in addressing the crisis and mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russian Daily Kommersant reports about three confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Russian military and 133 people monitored in mid-April. For background how to read the coronavirus statistics Russia provides see here.
Read earlier disinformation cases alleging that coronavirus will cause the dissolution of the EU and NATO and that DPR and LPR successfully fight the coronavirus outbreak thanks to Russian assistance, while Ukraine will soon collapse.