Disinfo: European countries glorify fascism, but Baltic States are worse

Summary

In several European countries, a glorification of fascism is going on. But the worst is what is happening in the Baltic countries. The nationalists seized power in the Baltic States after the collapse of the USSR. As a result, they do everything to forget the best things that connected the people of Russia and the Baltic countries. The friendship, cooperation, prosperity, the centuries-old defence against attacks from aggressors. Instead, they revive those, who together with the Germans, killed their own citizens in the camps.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative attempting to link the Baltic countries with Nazism. This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism. It tries to promote the idea that there was no Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, portraying Russia and the Soviet Union as the only guarantor of security in the Baltic States and that the Baltic States benefited from the Molotov- Ribbentrop pact.

The USSR occupied the Baltic States two times, firstly in 1940, under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, then in 1944. Contrary to the claims of the pro-Kremlin media, the re-capturing of the Baltic States did not bring freedom and prosperity, but Soviet repressions and occupation, which lasted for 50 years. The estimated war and occupation deaths are at 90,000 in Estonia, 180,000 in Latvia and 250,000 in Lithuania. Furthermore, it has been estimated that between 1946 and 1953, deportations and guerrilla deaths reached 95,000 in Estonia,125,000 in Latvia and 310,000 in Lithuania.

The threat of Nazism is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative; see here for disinformation cases about Europe becoming Nazi again, Baltic states openly glorifying Nazism, Poles stoking nationalist sentiment in Ukraine in order to annex Kviv and that t he EU continues the aggressive policies of Nazi Germany.

The accusation of Nazism is one of the favourite techniques of pro-Kremlin outlets as explained in our past analysis Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.

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Reported in: Issue 173
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 14/11/2019
Language/target audience: Russian
Country: Latvia, Russia, Estonia, Lithuania
Keywords: USSR, Europe, Nazi/Fascist, Baltic states
Outlet: Sputnik Armenia

Twitter campaign against Evo Morales may be run by the CIA

The same day of the coup against Evo Morales, thousands of automatised Twitter accounts with none, or just one follower, started promoting the hashtag #BoliviaNoHayGolpe (#BoliviaThereIsNoCoup). The hashtag wasn’t generated in a region with a strong Bolivian community but in the US state of Virginia, home of the CIA, which may point to its involvement.

November 19, 2019

Disproof

Though the existence of automatised bots and false accounts involved in the situation in Bolivia has been proven, the second part of the story is not true. The whole report is based on a tweet by US journalist Alan MacLeod, who pointed out that the hashtag #BoliviaNoHayGolpe (#BoliviaThereIsNoCoup) was "trending in Virginia, home of the CIA". But while he said in a subsequent tweet that there is a strong Bolivian community living in Arlington (indeed, one of the biggest in the US), which may easily explain the Twitter trend, RT ignored it and decided instead to push these allegations to promote its narrative of a US-backed coup in Bolivia. It is highly unlikely that a covert campaign carried out by a professional intelligence service could be so easily traced to its geographical origin.

The story also falls within the broader pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to deny the existence of genuine grass-root protests, portraying them as foreign-led efforts and fake colour revolutions. You can see other examples of disinformation cases such as a US hybrid war against Bolivia, the recruitment of its security services or the application in the country of the lessons learnt in Venezuela.

Pope Francis wants to destroy Christianity

Christianity is first and foremost an identity provider. An identity that Pope Francis, together with the Left, seems to want to destroy.

November 19, 2019

Disproof

This is a conspiracy theory, presented without evidence, and a recurrent pro-Kremlin attack on Pope Francis. It is in line with the established pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the degeneracy of Western liberal values. According to this narrative, Europe is presented as having abandoned traditional Christian values in favour of progressive "moral decay", while Russia is by contrast presented as the protector of these values and the "real European" culture and tradition.

For further examples of this narrative, see here.

Washington is using NATO for military confrontation in the Arctic

The military-industrial complex in Washington is determined to extract as much cash as possible from the Arctic, and the planned peaceful development of the region by Russia is a disturbing complication. Washington is using NATO as a front to establish an Arctic Circle of military confrontation in the hope that this will prevent Russia from exploring the region for oil and gas and extracting the resources known to be there.

November 19, 2019

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US, claiming - on the basis of no evidence - that American and NATO policies are a threat to world peace and security.

US policy towards the Arctic emphasises science and international collaboration, tending to neglect strategic and geopolitical considerations.