Disinfo: NATO enlargement policy is aggressive

Summary

NATO enlargement policy is aggressive and groundless. It does not improve stability in the region of Eastern Europe and is a growing threat to Belarus and the Union State of Belarus and Russia in general.

Disproof

Recurring disinformation about NATO enlargement.

Central and Eastern European countries began seeking NATO membership in the early 1990s. NATO actively sought to create a cooperative environment that was conducive to enlargement while simultaneously building special relations with Russia.

Furthermore, NATO does not “expand” in the imperialistic sense as described by pro-Kremlin media. Rather, it considers the applications of candidate countries who exercise their free choice of alliance affiliation and want to join the Alliance. Provision for enlargement is given by Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that membership is open to any “European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area”.

NATO enlargement is not directed against any country, including Russia or Belarus.

See similar examples of disinformation about the enlargement of NATO: NATO repeatedly promises to Russia not to expand Eastward; Promises about non-expansion of NATO were thrown into a bin by the West; NATO broke its promise not to advance Eastward.

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publication/media

sputniknews.lt (Archived)*
RIA (Archived)*
  • Reported in: Issue 272
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 21/02/2022
  • Article language(s) Lithuanian, Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia, Belarus
  • Keywords: NATO, Union State of Belarus and Russia, security threat, EU/NATO enlargement
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Disinfo: Throughout its history, Russia has never attacked anyone

What is the point of Russia attacking anyone? We must remember that throughout its history, Russia has never attacked anyone. Russia, which has known so many wars, is the last country in Europe to even want to speak, to utter a single word of war.

Feb 20, 2022
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin historical revisionism. According to this claim, the Soviet Union and Russia were always defending themselves and were never the aggressors nor involved in the start of global conflicts.

Russian media The insider provides a few examples where Russia acted as an aggressor. The examples go back to the 18th century, but one of the recent ones include a secret agreement with Nazi Germany, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which the USSR signed in September 1939. The pact stipulated a coordinated Nazi-Soviet attack on Poland and the carving up of Eastern Europe between the USSR and The Third Reich.

Disinfo: Kindergarten in East Ukraine was purposefully destroyed by a Ukrainian tank to underpin the Ukrainian negotiation position

The news that "separatists" had shelled a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, a locality under the control of Ukrainian forces spread like a houise fire through Western social and mass media.

The pictures show a wide "breach" in a massive four-brick-thick wall of the building. The bricks have collapsed inside the building, crushing children's toys. The picture is meant to evoke an emotional reaction.

But I would rather believe that they drove a Ukrainian tank into direct firing range and fired an armour-piercing missile without any explosives, at the kindergarten in order to get a picture of destruction.

The Kyiv regime is used to underpinning its negotiating position with an escalation on the line of contact in the conflict area, just in time for important summits and other international meetings.

Feb 20, 2022
Disproof

Anoter "false flag" promoted by Russian state media.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation combined with a conspiracy theory presented without any factual evidence. According to the RT-German article, a shelling of a kindergarten is supposed to be a false-flag action by the Ukrainian government to strengthen its negotiating position in the current Russian-Ukrainian war. The Ukrainian army is a regular subject of pro-Kremlin disinformation efforts, especially when it comes to the shelling of civilian facilities, with responsibility regularly placed on the Ukrainian armed forces.

Disinfo: NATO floods Ukraine with modern weapons to push Kyiv for a military solution in Donbas

NATO countries flood Ukraine with modern weapons and ammunition to push Kyiv for a military solution in Donbas. At the root of this escalation in Donbas are provocations of the Ukrainian security forces.

Feb 20, 2022
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that NATO is pushing Ukraine towards a military solution in Donbas.

This message appeared in the context of renewed Russian military buildup along the Ukrainian border. Speaking about "flooding with weapons" then the proper adress is that it is the Kremlin "flooding weapons" near Ukraine's borders and on occupied Crimea.