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Disinfo: Russia has never attempted to influence democratic processes in any country

Summary

Russia has never attempted to influence democratic processes in any country and all such allegations are absolutely unfounded

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to depict accusations of Russian meddling in Western democratic processes as factually unfounded and driven by "Russophobia".

Independent research, media investigations and parliamentary inquiries have uncovered evidence linking Russian state actors with interference in various electoral processes, including the 2016 Brexit vote, the 2017 French Presidential elections, the 2017 German Parliamentary elections, the 2016 constitutional referendum in Italy and the Dutch referendum on the EU’s Association Agreement with Ukraine.

Electoral interference by Russia has been extensively documented in numerous countries around the world. Independent research, media investigations and parliamentary inquiries have uncovered evidence linking Russian state actors with interference in various electoral processes, including the 2016 Brexit vote, the 2017 French Presidential elections, the 2017 German Parliamentary elections, the 2016 constitutional referendum in Italy and in the Dutch referendum on the EU’s Association Agreement with Ukraine.

Extensive evidence confirms that Russia did meddle in the 2016 US presidential elections, specifically aiming to damage Hillary Clinton's campaign and aid Republican candidate Donald Trump. In the US, 126 millions of users were reached by Russia-linked users, 29 millions of them have seen the content "directly".

Likewise, Russian state efforts to affect the outcome of the Brexit vote are well-documented, both in news reports and parliamentary enquiries. Investigations were conducted as well as by journalists. For more information on Russia's interference in Western democratic processes, see the EU vs Disinfo EU Elections 2019 page.

See similar cases claiming that Russia has not interfered in British elections nor in the elections of any country and that the notion of “Russian influence” in the US is an absurd conspiracy theory.

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publication/media

Sputnik Italia (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 208
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 08/08/2020
  • Language/target audience: Italian
  • Country: EU, Italy, UK, Russia, Ukraine, US, Germany, The Netherlands
  • Keywords: election meddling, Brexit, Manipulated elections/referendum, Russophobia, Elections

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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NATO has continously expanded eastward despite promises made to Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990

In the last three decades, NATO has continuously expanded eastward to Russia’s borders, despite former Secretary of State James Baker’s pledge to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that the West would not deploy troops east of reunified Germany in 1990.

August 21, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative that NATO had promised Russia that it would not expand to the East and that Russia has been encircled by NATO.

NATO allies take decisions by consensus and these are recorded. There is no record of any decision taken by NATO about putting a halt to enlargement to the East. Personal assurances from individual leaders cannot replace Alliance consensus and do not constitute formal NATO agreements. Moreover, at the time of the alleged promise, the Warsaw Pact still existed, which by definition precluded any member of the Pact joining NATO. Its members did not agree on its dissolution until 1991. This was confirmed by Mikhail Gorbachev himself in an interview with Russia Beyond the Headlines:

Liberalism is a crime against humanity

Liberalism is a crime against humanity. Today liberals increasingly fuel civil wars, social injustice, occupations, colonisation, de-humanisation. To be a liberal means to be sub-human, a sick and perverse creature, a criminal. Like liberalism, communism and fascism were also totalitarian regimes. But while communism and fascism belong to the past, liberalism is a real danger, a criminal world order that is still in place.

August 21, 2020
Disproof

Conspiracy theory. No evidence is provided to support the article’s claims.

This message is consistent with the recurring pro-Kremlin narrative that seeks to discredit liberalism claiming that the West’s liberal societies are totalitarian regimes ruled by “globalist elites” and “shadow governments” and that the liberal West and “globalist élites” are responsible for violent upheavals, military interventions, wars, anarchy and chaos throughout the world.

Macron opposed the scenario of Ukrainian coup in Belarus

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he does not want a repeat of the Ukrainian scenario in Belarus, since the Maidan in Kyiv took place outside the electoral cycle. The European Union does not want Belarus to repeat the bitter experience of Ukraine, which is surprising since until recently the EU countries have been fervently supporting the Ukrainian coup.

August 21, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Belarus. Also, it repeats the false narrative that Ukraine is under external control since the 2013-14 Euromaidan revolution.

The leaders of Germany and France discussed the worsening political crisis in Belarus. At a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Macron said the European Union could try to mediate an end to the deep public discontent in the country. “Belarus needs a dialogue between the authorities, the opposition and civil society,” he noted. “We want the Belarusians to be able to organise this dialogue themselves, but the European Union is ready to accompany this process if Belarus agrees to its mediation.”

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DISCLAIMER

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.