DISINFO: EU aims at destabilising the political situation in Belarus through controlled media
SUMMARY
EU pledges EUR 2m to support enhancement of professional reporting and free flow of information in Belarus. This is yet another on of the EU’s mechanisms to meddle in the sovereign affairs of post-Soviet countries. The EU wants to create a pool of controlled journalists and experts who are hostile to national interests in economics, culture, etc. These financial resources will ultimately be directed at destabilizing the political station in Belarus with the media as a tool.
RESPONSE
The disinformation message is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the Western attempts to instigate colour revolutions in EU neighbourhood including Belarus. Examples of earlier disinformation with a similar narrative here and here. The Delegation of the European Union to Belarus has indeed published a call for proposals to support professional reporting and free flow of information in Belarus. In the world 2018 press freedom ranking by Reporters without Borders Belarus is 155th among 180 countries. EU assistance to Belarus aims at improving the quality of life of Belarusian citizens in a tangible and visible manner, by strengthening its economy, governance, connectivity and society. Find out more about the EU assistance to Belarus here.