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Disinfo: EU Delegation arrives in Crimea

Summary

A delegation of European Union politicians and experts arrived in Crimea on a working visit. The delegation consists of nine people. Five of its members are French members of the European Union Parliament. EU representatives will visit polling stations and evaluate the voting process on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to portray a gradual acceptance of Crimea's position within Russia, especially by the West. Members of the European Parliament who visited the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea did not represent the EU and did not constitute an observation mission of the European Parliament, the press service of the EР said. “We know that some members of the European Parliament and other citizens act as so-called observers in the Crimea when voting on Russian constitutional amendments. They are not EU official representatives, they are not an official EU delegation and they are not an observation mission of the European Parliament,” said Peter Stano, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to Ukrainian media. The EU also condemned the vote, which took place in the temporarily occupied Crimea in violation of international law.

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publication/media

regnum.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 204
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30/06/2020
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: EU, Ukraine
  • Keywords: illegal annexation, European Union, Crimea, Europe

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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Ukraine figured out how to rip Russia off with new taxes on diesel fuel

The Ukrainian authorities may introduce an additional tax on subsidised imports of diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas from the Russian Federation. A new way to “rip off” Russia was invented by Ukrainian oil and gas workers.

July 02, 2020
Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on Ukraine failing to survive without Russia or without Russian gas. Before this article's appearance, the Ukrainian Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade stated that there is no reason to implement new taxes on subsidised imports to Ukraine of certain products such as diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas from the Russian Federation. The arguments for applying such taxes were that Russian companies who provide diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas are subsidised by the state, therefore it could be uncompetitive for Ukrainian companies. From 2019 there is a special 3.75% tax on import of diesel fuel and liquefied gas supplied from Russia. These measures appeared in the response to trade sanctions of Russia against Ukraine.      

Russian-speaking communities in the Baltic states are discriminated just as Afro-Americans

Russian-speaking minorities in the Baltic states have the same status as Afro-Americans. The authorities introduce bans on the Russian language and discriminate against the Russian-speaking population. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians in the Baltic states are turning into marginalised, segregated, and discriminated minorities.

July 02, 2020
Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin propaganda narrative about discrimination of the Russian-speaking minority and ubiquitous Russophobia in the Baltic states and beyond. For background, read our analysis The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings and look at earlier disinformation cases alleging that Russophobia is the main activity of the Latvian state and that Lithuania is NATO's dog barking at Belarus and Russia. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Latvia instigates linguistic genocide against Russian-speaking citizens, that genocide against ethnic Russians / Russian-speaking population in Anglo-Saxon-ruled Latvia is possible, that Lithuania is temporarily NATO-occupied territory ruled by non-Lithuanians, and that Baltic states' policies are similar to Third Reich's.

The West plans to include Belarus into anti-Russian alliance and organise a colour revolution in Russia

The West attempts to tear Belarus away from Russian sphere of influence and to make it part of a new anti-Russian alliance. NATO will be standing behind the back of this new Rzeczpospolita uniting Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. Consequently the West will plan a colour revolution in Russia.  

July 02, 2020
Disproof

This is mixture of conspiracies consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin propaganda narratives about NATO's belligerence towards Russia, Western attempts to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations and plans to organise a colour revolution in Russia. It mentions the concept of a new Rzeczpospolita which is often used in propaganda cases alleging Poland's imperialist plans for Ukraine and Belarus. The claim about NATO planning to engage Belarus in anti-Russian activities is speculation. NATO does not provoke conflicts between sovereign countries and the West does not plan a colour revolution in Russia. As our earlier analysis explains, the Kremlin conjures the image of a belligerent and imperialist West, thus manufacturing a fictional adversary. Poland fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and Belarus, it does not have any territorial claims against its neighbours and it rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. IV Rzeczpospolita, or Fourth Polish Republic, was a plan for moral revolution and political change put forth in the late 1990s by the Polish conservative philosopher Rafał Matyja and used in public discourse to describe the 2005-2007 period, when the government of Law and Justice was in power. See earlier disinformation messages alleging that the Polish doctrine of IV Rzeczpospolita is part of the US doctrine of global dominance, that Poland wants to dismember Ukraine and re-establish a Polish empire, and that the US feeds Polish, Austrian, and Hungarian imperialistic ambitions.