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Disinfo: “Lublin Triangle” – the organiser of the coup in Belarus

Summary

The “Lublin Triangle” – the organiser of the coup in Belarus. This seemingly harmless organisation is trying to become an instrument of external management of interesting “Maidan” processes in Belarus.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Belarus.

The Lublin Triangle has nothing to do with the mass protests in Belarus: hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have been protesting against a massive vote-rigging and police violence since 9 August 2020. On 16 August 2020 Belarus witnessed the largest rallies in the city of Minsk and dozens smaller towns and localities in its history.

There were no attempts to “interfere in the internal affairs” of Belarus from the side of the Lublin Triangle. On the contrary, on August 10, the union offered its assistance in establishing an open dialogue between the Belarusian authorities and the opposition: “We are confident that only by means of dialogue the current situation can be resolved for the benefit of the people and the state of Belarus. In case of the need, we are open for any assistance or good offices in facilitating this dialogue," the statement of the Foreign Ministers of the Lublin Triangle emphasises. Also, representatives of the initiative called on the Belarusian authorities to stop violence against the protesters and release the detained activists.

The Lublin Triangle is a new regional initiative that will focus on developing and enhancing the economic, political, and cultural ties of Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania. It will also serve as an important mechanism for strengthening Central Europe and promoting Ukraine's European and Euroatlantic integration.

Read the similar case claiming that The Lublin Triangle is an anti-Russian coalition of Russophobes.

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publication/media

News Front - Russian (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 208
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11/08/2020
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland
  • Keywords: Union State of Belarus and Russia, Imperialism/colonialism, Alexander Lukashenko, Coup, Euromaidan

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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Belarus is part of Russia, temporary independence does not change anything

Belarus is part of Russia, not the Russian Federation, but the millennial homeland. Temporary independence does not change anything. […]

An attempt to arrange a Maidan in Belarus has failed – although the unrest in Minsk and other cities will continue for some time… The mood for provocations and the next Euromaidan was obvious long before the elections – that is why Lukashenko was so nervous and even though he knew perfectly well that the game against him is being played by the West, he also believed in Russia’s involvement in possible provocations.

August 17, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the all-Russian nation and Russian world/civilisation, and Western attempts to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations.

The claim contains multiple disinformation narratives. Above all, Belarus is a sovereign nation-state with a long history, which preserved its language, literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. See an earlier disinformation case that Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians are one nation here.

The EU wants to turn Belarus into another anti-Russian outpost

The Europeans, these mourners of democracy, have standards for themselves (for example, look at how protests in France were recently dispersed), but for people like Lukashenka and Yanukovych, they have completely different standards.

Just as these protectors of democracy did not think about Ukraine, now they do not think about Belarus. They need to turn Belarus into another anti-Russian outpost.

You [Belarusians] are pushed to the Ukrainian scenario.

August 17, 2020
Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western Russophobia, also alleging that the protests in Belarus that followed the last presidential elections are orchestrated by external actors.

The EU does not plan to turn Belarus into an anti-Russian outpost. It did not recognize recent presidential election, as the election process did not meet the international standards expected of a participating state of the OSCE. The EU also condemned the violence against protesters who spontaneously took to the streets to protest fraudulent elections.

Violent protests in Belarus are a pretext for foreign interference and destabilisation

There are clear attempts of foreign interference, aiming to cause a division in society and to destabilise the situation [in Belarus]. The Kremlin observed an unprecedented pressure by individual foreign partners on Belarusian authorities. Brussels and Washington started using post-electoral violence and the measures adopted by Minsk to contain these riots as a pretext to present new accusations against the country.

August 17, 2020
Disproof

This is part of an ongoing Russian disinformation campaign about post-electoral protests in Belarus, portraying demonstrations against president Alexander Lukashenko as a Western-led violent colour revolution. Contrary to the claim, anti-Lukashenko protests have been mostly peaceful, and violence has come from Belarusian police and authorities against demonstrators, including beatings, torture and excessive force. These human rights violations are not a pretext used by Western powers to pressure Minsk, but rather Washington, Brussels and other Western capitals protested them as a reaction to Lukashenko’s abuses. There are also strong evidences pointing that the election was rigged.

See other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives in Belarus, such as claims that the EU reaction to Lukashenko’s victory is an example of Western double standards; that the same lack of democracy and repression is present in EU countries that criticize them in Minsk; that the arrest of Russian mercenaries in Belarus was a Ukrainian provocation, and the Ukrainian secret services may have planned terrorist attacks in Belarusian territory; that the West wants to prepare another Maidan in the country; or that Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians are one single nation.