Disinfo: Robert Mueller’s investigation proved there was no collusion between Trump and Russia

Summary

It cannot be excluded that scandal around the phone call between the Presidents of the US and Ukraine is the consequence of the failure of Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel investigation to prove Moscow intervened in the US elections.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the Robert Mueller report connected also with the recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Robert Mueller's investigation did conclude that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Mueller's report determined that there were "two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election". It led to US senators' proposals to extend sanctions on Russia to deter it from further election meddling. The claim that the report provides no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion is spurious. Gathering evidence of "collusion" - which is not a legal concept - fell outside the scope of the investigation. The aim of the probe was not merely to ascertain contacts between the Trump Campaign and Russia-linked individuals during the election period, but to establish whether these interactions were deliberate enough on the part of Trump Campaign officials to sustain charges of conspiracy (p. 2). The report explicitly identifies "numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign" (p. 9).

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 169
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30/09/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: US, Russia
  • Keywords: election meddling, Robert Mueller, Elections
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Disinfo: The Pentagon has a plan for destroying the Russian city of Kaliningrad

Leveling Kaliningrad – such threats come from the Commander of the US Armed Forces. They act in such a way that treating this as a stupid joke is no longer possible. It looks serious. The Americans not only think, but also openly say how they will destroy Russians.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on Western attempts to encircle Russia and Western belligerence. Russian media has extensively misquoted General Jeffrey Harrigian's statements given during a press briefing reported by the digital magazine Breaking Defence. During the press briefing, Gen. Harrigian outlined tactics the U.S. Air Force is developing in response to the ongoing threat of Russian anti-aircraft, anti-ship, and surface-to-surface missiles based in Kaliningrad. No U.S. or NATO plans to conquest or attack Kaliningrad were mentioned. As of 2014, following growing tensions between Russia and NATO countries, Russia has been increasing its military presence in the Kaliningrad region. Satellite imagery reported by the Federation of American Scientists in June 2018 showed renovations of what appears to be an active nuclear weapons storage site, about 50 kilometres from the Polish border. Read full debunk by Polygraph here.

Disinfo: Estonia joined the USSR in compliance with international law

We have repeatedly said that there is no, and there was not, a Soviet occupation of Estonia. The country’s entry into the Soviet Union occurred in accordance with the standards of international law.

Disproof

This is the part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it tries to promote the idea that there was no Soviet occupation of the Baltic states.

On 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed a non-aggression (Molotov-Ribbentrop) pact whose secret protocols divided the territories belonging to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Romania into Soviet and Nazi spheres of influence. The Baltic States were not beneficiaries of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Like other countries mentioned in the pact, they lost their independence and territories. Soviet occupation of the Baltic States lasted for 50 years and resulted in mass deportations and repressions against local populations.

Disinfo: Estonia is under social and moral occupation

Estonia is on the verge of social and moral occupation. This year, in Tallinn, students began to study the history of the Estonian gay community. Do you know how this is explained? Firstly, it is necessary for general education. Secondly, for the social cohesion of youth. Apparently, basic family values are not enough. It is no coincidence that Tallinn is called the capital of the Scandinavian gays.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about West's moral decay and sovereignty of the Baltic States. See a similar case: Estonia is a tool in the hands of the EU and US The course "Hot 1990s, history of sexuality and the Estonian LGBT + community" is taught at Tallinn university and students can choose it at their discretion. The course addresses two intertwined themes: the 1990s as a transition period for Soviet independence and the recent history of sexuality and the Estonian LGBT + community. Estonia is a sovereign liberal democracy. "Threatened values" is one of the most common narratives used by pro-Kremlin outlets.