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Disinfo: Controlled by the US, EU didn't react when Poland refused aid to Italy to cross its airspace

Summary

Poland did not let Russian aircraft carrying aid to Italy pass through its airspace. This is meanness at the highest level of the state. Moreover, the help was for an ally of Poland in the EU and NATO. From now on, Russia should not meet Poland half-way, on any issue. After this disgustful act of Warsaw, Brussels didn’t react because Washington controls the Russophobic foreign policy of the EU and the fact that Italians can perish cannot allow any exception to this position.

Disproof

A recurring narrative that Poland acts in a vulgar and ignoble way against Russia and that the EU is a puppet of the United States. Nothing proves that such a decision was made by Poland except the speculations of a Russian politician. The Polish minister of defence stated that no demand to enter the Polish airspace was made from the Russian side. The spokesperson for the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, Pawel Lukaszewicz also said that his agency had not received any flight plan from Russia and pretending Poland refuses access to its airspace is a lie. Furthermore, the Russian minister of defence itself doesn't support the allegations that Poland would have denied access to its planes and the original tweet of the Russian politician who started this emotional story against Poland was removed.

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publication/media

Sputnik France (Archived)
News Front - French (Archived)
RT France (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 191
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24/03/2020
  • Language/target audience: French
  • Country: Poland, Russia
  • Keywords: coronavirus, Russia's Ministry of Defence, humanitarian aid, EU disintegration
see more

Coronavirus pushed the West into the Middle Ages

A combination of systemic crisis and the coronavirus epidemic dealt a blow to the West’s mythical unity. Western countries refuse to help each other by sending medical equipment or providing financial assistance. The US organised a military operation to export half a million of coronavirus tests from Italy, despite the deficit Italy is facing. The West is sinking in the Middle Ages, where everyone is for himself. The longer the epidemic stays, the further back in time the West will be submerged. The only positive aspect is that the combination of a global systemic crisis, low hydrocarbon prices, and the coronavirus pandemic may replace a new world war by moving away unsustainable political entities.

Mar 23, 2020
Disproof

This message is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin claims about the EU's helplessness in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak and a common narrative about the EU's imminent collapse. The European Union is supporting Member States in addressing the crisis and has adopted measure to mitigate the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To cushion the blow to people’s livelihoods and the economy, the European Commission has adopted a comprehensive economic response to the outbreak, applied the full flexibility of the EU fiscal rules, has revised its State Aid rules and proposed to set up a EUR 37 billion Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative to provide liquidity to small businesses and the health care sector. To support scientific research into COVID-19, the European Commission earmarked 47.5 million EUR for shortlisted research projects that can improve epidemiology and public health, including preparedness and response to outbreaks. The EU has also created first ever stockpile of medical equipment. Read more about the EU's response here and here. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Italy, Spain, Portugal and possibly even France are in line to exit the EU, that a number of EU countries teeter on the brink of default, and that the coronavirus and economic crisis caught the EU by surprise because of its Russophobia.

Due to coronavirus, Italy is on the brink of default, many European states will likely cease to exist

The course of events in the next months can change Europe’s political map. Many European countries will likely not get through it, they will merge with bigger ones. Total economic downturns point at their absolute incapability to deal with the crisis. Italy is on the brink of default, and nobody can help it. The EU just does not possess enough money for saving the Italian economy. Everyone will care about himself in the first place. The situation is dramatic, similar events took place in the 1910s, 1920s, 1940s.

Mar 23, 2020
Disproof

This message paints a far-reaching gloomy economic and political scenario which is consistent with a common pro-Kremlin narrative about the EU's imminent collapse. Whereas the economic consequences of coronavirus outbreak for Italy are indeed grave and a sharp economic slowdown is expected, it will not inevitably face default as alleged. At present, no EU country has a credit rating low enough to justify that claim. The EU as a whole enjoys a very high credit rating. Before the coronavirus outbreak it was rated AAA/Aaa/AAA/AAA (outlook stable) by Fitch, Moody’s, DBRS and Scope and AA (outlook stable) by Standard & Poor’s. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the coronavirus puts EU’s existence into question, that Italy, Spain, Portugal, and possibly even France are in line to exit the EU, that a number of EU countries teeter on the brink of default, and that the EU is rotten and countries are leaving it.

Research centres start to point out that COVID-19 is fabricated

Research centres in Russia and some American institutions have begun to question the origin of the COVID-19 and whether or not the virus is natural, abnormal, or laboratory-built.

Mar 23, 2020
Disproof

Conspiracy theory about the 2019-nCoV coronavirus. There is no evidence that suggests that the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been fabricated inside laboratories.

The medical Journal “Emerging Microbes & Infections” - Volume 9, 2020, published a scientific study entitled “No credible evidence supporting claims of the laboratory engineering” of the current Coronavirus, which denies any rumours about the epidemic being constructed inside laboratories.