Disinfo: Every Finn and Swede have a target painted on their forhead

Summary

By declaring their intention to join NATO, Finland and Sweden have drastically undermined their national security. [...] Every Finn and Swede should now understand that they have a target painted on their forehead.

Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim which appeared in the context of Finland and Sweden submitting formal requests for NATO membership.

Both Finland and Sweden have a long history of cooperation with NATO in a wide range of areas. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine both countries decided to join the alliance.

According to the Prime Minister of Sweden:

Sweden is best defended within NATO. [...] Unfortunately, we have no reason to believe that the trend (of Russia’s actions) will reverse in the foreseeable future.

According to both the President and Prime Minister of Finland:

NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance. Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay.

There is no evidence to suggest that joining NATO would increase insecurity of Finnish and Swedish citizens.

In both Finland and Sweden there is overwhelmingly broad-based support across the political landscape which has also been manifested in the process in the parliaments: in Finland with 188 deputies voting for and only 8 against NATO membership application. In Sweden, among it's eight parties in parliament, only two smaller left-leaning parties oppose the application for membership.

See related disinformation claims, alleging that Sweden and Finland are being dragged into NATO and forced to wage a war against Russia, Finns, Swedes unlikely to support NATO membership because well-being will decline, Most Finns are against NATO membership; neutrality is key to security.

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ukraina.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 291
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 21/05/2022
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Sweden, Finland
  • Keywords: EU/NATO enlargement, NATO
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Disinfo: CBC was banned because of Russophobia

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May 20, 2022
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative blaming the West for being Russophobic.

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Disinfo: Pentagon-backed labs produce bioweapons in Mariupol

The Russian special operation in Ukraine has uncovered factual evidence showing that components for bioweapons have for many years been produced close to the Russian border in violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. The network included over 30 facilities, and Mariupol turned out to be its stronghold where a centre for the collection and certification of cholera pathogens was located. Selected strains were first sent to Kyiv and then forwarded to the United States.

May 20, 2022
Disproof

This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin media, trying to invent new pre-texts for the Russian invations of Ukraine. This time claiming that the US is developing biological weapons in secret laboratories in former Soviet republics. This narrative is often reinforced with an allegation that birds, rats and reptiles are being poisoned with a special substance targeting ethnic Russians.

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Disinfo: Ukrainians in Germany wanted to burn a Russian flag, but burned down the house

Ukrainian refugees in Germany wanted to burn a Russian flag but set fire to a house.

May 19, 2022
Disproof

Anti-Ukrainian disinformation using falsified material and without any factual evidence aimed to discredit Ukrainian refugees in Germany. See the full debunk at Correctiv (German).

The NewsFront article claims that the German BILD reported about Ukrainian refugees in Germany. But the article cannot be found either in the BILD's archives or through a Google search. The newspaper's deputy editor-in-chief, Timo Lokoschat, called the screenshot a fake on Twitter: "BILD never wrote this report. A complete fake," he wrote on 17 May 2022. A spokesperson for the newspaper also confirmed this statement.