Disinfo: EU and NATO stood by and watched the coronavirus crisis worsen without helping Italy

Summary

EU and NATO simply stood by and watched the coronavirus crisis worsen without helping Italy.

Disproof

The COVID-19 outbreak constituted a serious challenge on Europe's readiness for a crisis. The President of the European Commission has apologised for the slow response on behalf of the Union. The claim that "EU has done nothing" is false. The European Commission has approved a €50 million Italian aid scheme to support the production and supply of medical devices, as well as to help Italy provide the necessary medical treatment to those infected. On the 13th of March, the EU proposed a Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative, envisaging EUR 835 million for Italy. On the 26th of March 26, the European Parliament unanimously approved the initiative. The European Central Bank announced a 750 billion euro ($820 billion) asset purchase program in an effort to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, as the death toll in Europe continues to rise. As part of the program, investors will purchase Italian securities to help the country counter the serious risks of the coronavirus. Individual EU members have also provided assistance to Italy specifically, including access to a hundred intensive care beds (Austria and Germany), 500 mobile medical units (Greece), 2.5 million masks (Austria and France), 30,000 protective suits (Czech Republic and France), 300 ventilators (Germany), as well as 50 medicalpersonnel (Poland, Romania, and non-member Norway). On the 26th of April Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said that a recovery fund to help EU countries weather the coronavirus’ economic impact should be worth €1.5 trillion and be available by mid-September. NATO has also been doing a lot to assist all its member states in the fight against COVID-19. This includes facilitating the airlift of crucial medical supplies and equipment, matching requests for support with offers from allies and partners, setting up field hospitals. Many Allies, including the Czech Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Spainhavebenefited from this support. The coordination and delivery of urgentlyneededmedical supplies, suchas personal protective equipment, respirators and test kits, is organised by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) following requests by Allies and partner countries. For example, in response to Spain and Italy’srequests for assistance made through the EADRCC, the Czech Republic bilaterally provided both countries with medical supplies, including 10,000 protective medical suitseach. Through the same mechanism, Turkey provided Italy and Spain with medical supplies such as masks, personal protection equipment and disinfectants. Read similar cases claiming that Italy is alone defending itself from coronavirus, without any help from hypocritical EU and that the EU left Italy face to face with an invisible and terrible enemy.

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it.sputniknews.com
  • Reported in: Issue 194
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24/04/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Italian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: EU, Italy
  • Keywords: coronavirus, NATO
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Disinfo: EU will provide Ukraine with financial support in exchange for the banking system and destruction of trade unions

[…] for its handout, the European Union not only wants to control the country’s banking system but also to strengthen the fight against corruption (read – to expand the network of grant-eaters), to reduce social payments (goodbye pensioners and the poor), to ban trade unions and to approve a Labour Code that legalises slave labour. But, of course, the adoption of the anti-Kolomoyskiy law by the Verkhovna Rada remains the key condition. Amendments to this law are currently being considered by the relevant committee [in the parliament].

Apr 23, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on Ukraine and its relations with the European Union. No such demands have been made upon Ukraine. As explained by the permanent representative of Ukraine to the EU, Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukraine will receive €1.2 billion in two tranches to overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first €600 million will be provided at once, after the approval of the decision by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union unconditionally. The second tranche of €600 million will be provided under conditions. These conditions must be defined by the negotiations which will start soon. Therefore, the exact conditions on which this support will be granted to Ukraine have not yet been defined. Tochytskyi mentioned that, in general, such conditions may include: improvement of public finance management, labour and social security, further development of anti-corruption laws and business regulations. Moreover, Ukraine's cooperation with the IMF is another important condition. See previous disinformation narratives challenging EU-Ukraine relations and, in particular, the Association Agreement: Europe destroyed Ukraine, The EU Association Agreement destroyed the Ukrainian economy.

Disinfo: Under Zelenskyy, Ukraine does not advance in the implementation of the Minsk agreements

During the presidency of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, no significant progress has been achieved in resolving the conflict in Donbas. According to experts, the Ukrainian authorities are taking their time in showing commitment to the Minsk agreements. Such tactics only prolong the conflict, and without external influence on Kyiv from the West, there is little hope for its resolution.

Apr 23, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about war in Ukraine, casting Ukraine as the sole responsible party for implementation of the Minsk agreements. At the end of April 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian side in the Trilateral Contact Group offered to hold negotiations in a video format so that negotiations could continue. “At the beginning of each week, we have a Minsk video-call. We want to move forward. Because it is the only thing that brings us closer to solving this issue globally," the Ukrainian President emphasised. At the end of January 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on the status of the monitoring procedure, where Russia was named as a “party to the Minsk agreements”. The PACE resolution noted that the Russian authorities should, among other things, “fully implement the Minsk agreements to which the Russian Federation is a party and to end its military intervention in, and support for, illegally armed formations in Eastern Ukraine." Since 2014, negotiations with Russia to resolve the conflict in the Donbas have been held within the framework of the Normandy Format and the Minsk process. A special Trilateral contact group is working on a peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbas. Three parties are involved in this process: representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE. Unofficially, representatives of the "LDNR" factions are also present. The second set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements was signed on 12 February 2015. The first paragraph of the document relates to an immediate ceasefire. Next, it is necessary to withdraw heavy weapons, ensure OSCE monitoring, release prisoners, grant Donbas special status and hold local elections, provide amnesty to the parties involved in the conflict and restore control over the Ukrainian-Russian border in the conflict zone. You can read other similar cases claiming that Ukraine does not fulfill key point of Minsk agreements on negotiation with the "LDNR" or that Ukraine broke the Minsk agreements by allowing the National Police on the contact line.

Disinfo: Refugees from Greek camps will jeopardise Germany's health and safety

The German government is increasingly delivering the so-called refugees from Greek camps to Germany and believes that this is how the country fulfils its “humanitarian duty”. In fact, it jeopardises public health. It is likely that all of these migrants are infected with the coronavirus.

Apr 23, 2020
Disproof

This is a part of the recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about migrants. The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community of Germany states that all persons seeking protection who are registered on arrival will be examined, to see whether there are any indications of coronavirus infections. This is to be done within the routine medical examinations that are already carried out, using a suitable test. The aim of this measure is to prevent infected persons from entering reception centres and endangering the health of residents and employees. If a person is found to have coronavirus, it lets the authorities make a quick decision on the necessary treatment and quarantine measures. On the 8 April, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet agreed to accept 50 migrant children and youths from overcrowded camps on Greek islands. Germany’s interior ministry said it aimed to begin the transfer of unaccompanied minors, aged under 14, the following week from Greece, which has been the main gateway into the EU for people fleeing conflict in the Middle East and beyond. On arrival in Germany, the young people will be placed into quarantine for two weeks before they are divided up across Germany, the ministry said, adding that it was part of an agreement among ten other EU member states.