Disinfo: Crimea "sailed" to Russia forever and the West agrees with this

Summary

Crimea “sailed” to Russia forever. In the West, they agree with this fact. With the onset of the new year in Ukraine, the forces and politicians who dream of the return of Crimea have noticeably revived. They are in no way ready to accept the words repeatedly sounded from Moscow that the reunification of Crimea with Russia is the choice of the Crimeans themselves, and the question of some kind of “return” is closed forever.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the annexation of Crimea, claiming that Crimea voted to rejoin Russia through a legal referendum and that the West has long come to terms with the fact that Crimea is Russian.

No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.

The European Union does not recognise and continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law, which remains a challenge to the international security order. In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Russian Federation. In June 2020, the European Council decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2021.

Read similar cases claiming that Crimean people have expressed their desire to rejoin Russia in a democratic process, that Crimea never belonged to Ukraine, that Crimea’s reunification with Russia was legal and that Crimea is a legal part of Russia.

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Ritm Evrazii (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 228
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18/01/2021
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: illegal annexation, West, Manipulated elections/referendum, Crimea, Sanctions
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Disinfo: Germany's response on Navalny affair does not prove poisoning

Germany has sent to Russia a response on its questions about the Navalny affair. However, there are no new substantial elements which could prove the alleged poisoning of opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

Jan 17, 2021
Disproof

This is part of a pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign on the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny by trying to portray it as entirely unconnected to Russia and denying Russia's well-documented role in the use of Novichok.

It is not true that the German authorities did not find proof of Navalny's poisoning. Navalny fell ill during a flight from Siberia to Moscow on the 20th of August. Initially hospitalised in Omsk, at the request of his family he was transferred to Charité hospital in Berlin, where clinical findings indicated that he was poisoned with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. Subsequent toxicological tests provided unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group in the blood samples of Alexei Navalny.

Disinfo: Neo-liberals nominate women as opposition leaders; Yulia Navalnaya might replace her husband

Highly likely, Russia may face the implementation of the scenario that took place in Belarus, where the opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky was replaced by his wife Yulia. The nomination of a female for the role of opposition leader in so-called “totalitarian” countries is part of a neo-liberal trend that is gaining momentum in the West. Through so-called suppressed minorities and suffering women, the producers of such scenarios create an illustrative picture of their struggle for a “Brave New World”, where fabulous equality should reign.

Jan 17, 2021
Disproof

A conspiracy theory presented without evidence. It is consistent with the pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative that the poisoning of the Russian opposition leader is designed to help the West attack Russia. The claim suggests a trend of opposition leaders being “nominated” by outside forces. Yuliya Navalnaya has participated in her husband’s political movement for several years.

Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny was arrested following his return to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for poisoning with Novichok-type chemical nerve agent.

Disinfo: Bellingcat is a western weapon against Russia 

There is an organisation called Bellingcat, funded by Western governments, and according to the Kremlin, that organisation is a unit of US and British intelligence used to legitimise its media operations against Russia.

/…/

Regardless of the content of the Bellingcat investigations … it is the duty of any Russian citizen to see at least the interests of the US and the West behind the activities of “Bellingcat”, and that it is a weapon in the hands of the West.

Jan 17, 2021
Disproof

This is part of a recurrent Russian effort to discredit the highly respected investigative site Bellingcat, which uncovered many elements in cases such as the downing of the MH17 flight or the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergey Skripal and recently the case of Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny that contradict and expose Russian disinformation narratives.

Bellingcat, an independent international collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists, was created in 2014 with the help of private donations received through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.