DISINFO: Eastern Partnership aimed at weakening Russia's geopolitical influence
SUMMARY
Despite the outwardly “reassuring” mood of European diplomats, the Eastern Partnership program, according to many experts, was from the very beginning aimed at weakening Russia’s geopolitical influence in Eastern Europe as well as at creating alternative energy supply routes for Europe.
RESPONSE
The Eastern Partnership programme is a frequent target of pro-Kremlin disinformation. Similar cases are available here and here. The Eastern Partnership programme is not directed against any country, including Russia. It is a joint policy initiative which aims to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union, its member states and six Eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Within this framework, guiding the EU's relations with its neighbours is the EU’s Global Strategy and the European Neighbourhood Policy, which calls for the need to focus on increasing the stabilisation and resilience of the EU's Eastern neighbours. See here for more information about EaP's objectives and a joint commitment to deliver tangible results for citizens across the region. Read more about the most repeated myths about the Eastern Partnership initiative here.