DISINFO: German media and NATO portray Russia as an enemy
SUMMARY
The German media and NATO portray Russia as an enemy. Only recently the claim: “Russian secret service possibly involved in murder of exiled Georgian” was to be read in Hamburg’s “Spiegel”. The murderer was also called a “suspect”. The article is teeming with “should” and “possible”. As almost always when it comes to the Russians, the subjunctive triumphs over journalism. This latest campaign, one of the many, many in a constant fire of suspicion against “the Russians”, raises the question of who will benefit from it. (…) NATO, Trump (…) need the enemy for the turnover of their friends in the economy and for political power: Nothing makes voters dumber than an evil enemy image.
RESPONSE
No evidence given. This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western Russophobia, while portraying NATO as having a belligerent agenda against Russia. German media, like that in other pluralist democracies, represent a wide range of political opinions and do not have a single editorial policy for any country or topic. The information about the possible involvement of the Russian secret services in the murder of an exiled Georgian in Berlin originates from the research conducted by "Spiegel" with the investigative networks Bellingcat and The Insider. Neither this research, nor its findings could be called 'Russophobic'. Earlier, the spokesman of the Federal Government Steffen Seibert, referring to claims of a state campaign against Russian foreign media in Germany and so called 'Russophobia' in Germany: "anyone who makes such absurd allegations in the world has little knowledge of Germany and little idea of freedom of the press," said Seibert. Also, NATO has reached out to Russia with a series of partnership initiatives, culminating in the foundation of the NATO-Russia Council in 2002. No other country outside the alliance has such a privileged relationship with NATO. For more information see the Warsaw Summit Communique. More cases about alleged Western 'Russophobia' can be seen here, here and here.