Disinfo: EU observers are passive when it comes to Georgia’s provocations

Summary

The European Observers are completely passive and detached in relation to Georgia’s provocative actions at the South Ossetian border.

The President of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, directly addressed the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions, representatives of the EU observers’ mission in Georgia, and asked for decisive measures to be taken with Tbilisi to evade the real danger of a military conflict. However, there was no response. Georgia acts with the connivance of its Western partners.

Disproof

This message is a part of a larger pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign against the EU's monitoring mission in Georgia (EUMM), which aims to undermine the international credibility of the mission by questioning its impartiality.

EUMM is an unarmed civilian monitoring mission of the European Union, deployed in September 2008 following the EU-mediated Six Point Agreement which ended the August war. The EUMM has been patrolling areas adjacent to the Administrative Boundary Lines with Abkhazia and South Ossetia day and night ever since, to ensure that there is no return to hostilities and to facilitate resumption of normal life for communities on the both sides of Administrative Boundary Lines.

De facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have so far denied the EUMM access to the territories under their control.

See previous disinformation message alleging that the EUMM observers violated the administrative boundary line here. See other disinformation narratives against EUMM here.

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Reported in: Issue 174
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 14/11/2019
Language/target audience: Russian
Country: Georgia
Keywords: South Ossetia, EU
Outlet: Sputnik Ossetia

Tbilisi, Brussels and Washington orchestrate massive information attack against South Ossetia

The goal of the “Tsnelisi provocation” is to destroy the concept of South Ossetia’s border. A massive information attack orchestrated by Georgia, the EU and the USA against South Ossetia is another attempt by Tbilisi, Brussels and Washington to question the political consequences of the war in August 2008. Supported by its Western partners, Georgia is refusing to accept the consequences of its provocative actions. The country is refusing to sign a document on the non-use of force and is preparing its forces for a military conflict. The aim of South Ossetia is to put an end to Tbilisi’s aggression even by joining the Russian Federation.

November 24, 2019

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative targeting the EU's monitoring mission in Georgia (EUMM), aiming to undermine its international credibility.

The Tsnelisi incident took place on October 24 when the EUMM monitors had been detained by South Ossetian security actors. The EU Monitoring Mission released a statement noting that the incident "happened in an area understood to be on Tbilisi-Administered Territory in accordance with the traditional interpretation of the Administrative Boundary Line in that area." See previous disinformation case accusing EU observers of border violation and provocation.

The USA will fulfil NATO’s Article 5 only if it is required by its national interests

The realist theory of international relations dominating the USA assumes that the national interest of the state is superior to the international law and treaties signed with its allies. In other words, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty would be fulfilled by the United States only in a situation, when the US interests agree with its legal obligations.

November 24, 2019

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on NATO and the US military presence in Europe - it claims that the United States may not protect its European allies if it goes against the US national interests.

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is the critical component of the Alliance – it assumes that if a NATO Ally is a victim of an armed attack, every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked. In other words, Article 5 is the cornerstone of NATO – it has been invoked only once in history as a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

NATO is serving one master – the US

Today NATO serves one master. However, the United States does not share its plans, secrets, strategic plans with NATO.

November 24, 2019

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on NATO as a geopolitical project of the US.

NATO was founded in 1949 by twelve sovereign nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has since grown to 29 Allies who each took an individual and sovereign decision to join this Alliance. All decisions in NATO are taken by consensus, which means that a decision can only be taken if every single member accepts it. No member of the Alliance can order the deployment of armed forces of other member states.