Disinfo: Poland uses the situation on Belarusian border to underline "threat from the East"

Summary

Since the dawn of history, the governments facing a deficit of legitimacy or willingness to divert attention from important problems pointed at external enemies threatening security and freedom. For many years, the Polish authorities have consequently used this model.

The Polish governments used the alleged threat of "Russian aggression" in order to cover their inefficiencies and intellectual weakness. The message about the threat from the East is currently promoted by the events on the Polish-Belarusian border and the rhetoric about the Belarusian “hybrid war” allegedly waged against Poland.

Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative about the ongoing migration crisis on the Eastern border of the European Union directly caused by the Belarusian authorities.

The Kremlin-controlled outlets regularly accuse the Polish authorities of Russophobia and inspiration of the anti-Russian sentiments in order to reach particular domestic goals.

On 23 August 2021, the Polish authorities announced the construction of the fence on the border with Belarus to stop the ongoing influx of irregular migrants orchestrated by the Belarusian regime. According to the position of the Polish authorities, the ongoing situation on the Belarusian border is a hybrid attack on Poland in order to destabilise the country and the entire EU.

There is plenty of evidence that the Belarusian authorities have instigated the ongoing migration crisis in Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Lukashenka's regime is using migrants from the Middle East as "political and hybrid" tools against Lithuania and the entire EU. Commissioner Ylva Johansson said, inter alia: "The authoritarian regime in Belarus is exploiting human beings for political reasons: this is completely unacceptable."

In 2021, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia faced an influx of irregular migrants from Belarus. Earlier, Belarus ended cooperation with the EU to stem illegal migration. This was Lukashenka's answer to the European Union sanctions on the political regime of Belarus (read more about sanctions here).

Several investigative journalists (here) and (here) have proven that some migrants arrive in Belarus by commercial flights from Baghdad to Minsk. Information gathered also suggests that migrants are regularly transported by bus to the Belarusian-Lithuanian border. More information about Lukashenka's role in the organisation of the current migration crisis can be found here and here.

See other disinformation cases concerning the ongoing migration crisis on the Belarusian border: Polish Defense Minister tries to exert psychological and propaganda influence on the Poles, Polish fence on the border with Belarus is meant to frighten Poles with a perspective of war and Poland declared a state of emergency after the appearance of 32 refugees on its border.

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pl.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 258
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/09/2021
  • Article language(s) Polish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Poland, Belarus, Russia
  • Keywords: security threat, Anti-Russian, Russophobia, Hybrid war, Alexander Lukashenko, Migration crisis
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Disinfo: Washington and Brussels implement information war against people of Russia and Belarus

The West is using information warfare to destroy cultural and worldview spheres of life in Russia and Belarus. It is the war for consciousness. The purpose is to re-format the consciousness of the people of Russia and Belarus according to the matrix from Washington and Brussels.

Sep 09, 2021
Disproof

A recurring narrative about alleged Western information war against Russia and Belarus.

The claim that Washington or Brussels want to affect or change the consciousness of inhabitants of Russia or Belarus is not supported by evidence.

Disinfo: Claims about Russian contacts in Catalonia are a stupid forgery

A New York Times article claiming that there were contacts between an advisor to the former Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, and Russia, cited a European intelligence report that the newspaper's reporters were able to see, while it later turned out to be a stupid forgery.

The newspaper claimed that Josep Lluís Alay, a senior advisor to the former Catalan President, met with Russian businessman Alexander Dmitrenko, foreign intelligence officials and Oleg Syromolotov, who is responsible for combating terrorism and serves as Russia’s deputy Foreign Minister. Syromolotov had never met Josep Lluís Alay in Moscow and outside Russia, and had no contacts with him, either in the past or the present.

Sep 09, 2021
Disproof

Recurrent self-victimisation technique to deny a piece of embarrassing news and qualify it as Russophobia or planned provocation.

The article from the New York Times is based on a report from European intelligence that synthesises a long investigation that included the interception of conversation between pro-independence figures in Catalonia. The leak from the Spanish police was also consulted by other media organisations like OCCRP or El Pais.

Disinfo: G20 countries recognised Sputnik V as the best drug for coronavirus prevention

G20 countries recognised Sputnik V as the best drug for coronavirus prevention. During their interventions at a G20 meeting, health ministers were saying that Sputnik V was the best vaccine against COVID-19.

Sep 09, 2021
Disproof

The statement is unfounded, part of a years-long campaign by pro-Kremlin outlets and officials to promote the Sputnik V vaccine internationally.

The claim was, unsurprisingly, made by Russia’s Health Minister Mikhail Murashko during the 4th Forum of Social Innovations of the Regions, a domestic event in Moscow, but there is no G20-evidence to back it. There is no official statement by G20 health ministers addressing this question. Significantly, Murashko’s official comments immediately after the meeting didn’t pick such remarkable affirmations, focusing only on calling G20 member countries to recognise each other’s vaccines.