Disinfo: NATO’s increasing military potential is destroying the existing system of global security

Summary

NATO’s increasing military potential is destroying the existing system of global security.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about NATO, claiming that Alliance policies are a threat to world peace and security. NATO policies introduced after the 2014 Ukraine crisis - aimed at reinforcing NATO’s Eastern flank and reassuring Central and Eastern European allies worried about possible threats from Russia – do not threaten global security. Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and amid emerging security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa in 2014, NATO leaders at the Wales Summit adopted the Readiness Action Plan, a comprehensive package of enhanced collective defence and deterrent measures designed to ensure the transatlantic alliance could respond swiftly and firmly to changes in its security environment. The Plan included the enhancement of air and maritime policing efforts and the conduct of more military exercises focused in collective defence and crisis-management along NATO’s eastern border. As clearly stated by NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu, the Baltic military exercises known as BALTOPS, which are now in their 47th year, are not directed against any one in particular.

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it.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 153
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/06/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Italian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: US, Baltic states
  • Keywords: security threat, Military exercise, War preparation, NATO
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Disinfo: The goal of the "Chernobyl" series is to discredit the Belarusian power plant, Soviet legacy, and Belarus-Russia relations

The true intention of the Chernobyl series is to put the issue of a nuclear power plant back on the agenda of Belarusian society. It aims to present Astravets NPP as a symbol of the insolvency of the Belarusian Government, just as the Chernobyl catastrophe became a symbol of the USSR’s imminent collapse. Before the Chernobyl series was released, the arguments against the Astravets NPP included a threat to salmon spawning, unwanted cooperation with Russia for its construction, and harm to Belarusian-Lithuanian relations. The second goal behind the Chernobyl series is to promote negative sentiments towards the USSR and relations among post-Soviet countries, especially Belarus-Russia relations. It aims to show that no good can come out of Belarusian-Russian cooperation.

Jun 09, 2019
Disproof

This is conspiracy consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about the West’s anti-Belarusian and anti-Russian activities, and its attempts to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations. Chernobyl is a historical drama television series depicting the nuclear disaster of April 1986 and the unprecedented clean-up efforts that followed. The series premiered in the US and UK in early May 2019 and was acclaimed by critics. It is based in large part on the recollections of Pripyat locals, as relayed by Belarusian Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich in her book, Voices from Chernobyl. There is no proof of a hidden propagandistic agenda behind the series as alleged by this article. A negative impact on wildlife and strained Belarusian-Lithuanian relations are among a number of other, often more serious arguments against the NPP construction, including the station's potential technological vulnerabilities. These arguments were provided by environmentalists years ago (see 2010 assessment) and many continue to be voiced at present (see April 2019 publication). The February 2019 draft decision of the Meeting of the Parties of the Espoo Convention acknowledged that Belarus had failed to comply with some Convention provisions and encouraged Belarus and Lithuania to continue bilateral expert consultations. It also expressed regret that Belarus failed to provide the Committee with the information regarding the justification of the selection of the Astravets site over the alternatives. Read more about pro-Kremlin disinformation based on the Chernobyl series here.

Disinfo: The Eastern Partnership ended in 2015

As much as one may continue to talk about the Eastern Partnership programme, it has been at an end since 2015.

Jun 08, 2019
Disproof

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) programme did not end in 2015. It is still very much active and continues to serve its policy mandate to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union (EU), its Member States, and its six Eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Read more about the Eastern Partnership and its priorities here. Background: The Eastern Partnership initiative is a mutually beneficial and constructive platform for countries in the region to build a closer relationship with the EU if they choose to do so. The EU does not demand any of its partners to make a choice between the EU or any other country. The Eastern Partnership stands for good neighbourly relations and respects the individual aspirations and ambitions of each partner country. The EaP has been a frequent target of pro-Kremlin disinformation. More cases are available here.