Disinfo: Russia signed Molotv-Ribbentrop pact because it was threatened by Germany. Today Russia is threatened by Poland.

Summary

At some point Russia was threatened by Germany and we signed secret protocols of Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, in attempt to create some security for ourselves including in the territory of Poland. And now we see that threats are emanating from the territory of Poland. Polish people have given their country away to Germans in only two weeks. But today Poland is surely demonstrating aggression towards Russia.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West encircling Russia and Poland's allegedly aggressive behaviour in particular. See previous case: Poland has aggressive intentions towards Russia. The disinformation message is combined with manipulation of historic facts. Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was on August 23, 1939. Its secret protocols divided Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. It foresaw the division of Poland and enabled Soviet Union to invade and annex the Baltic States. The Soviets also annexed Romania's provinces of Bessarabia (today's Moldova) and northern Bukovina (now in Ukraine) and the Czechoslovak territory of Carpathian Ruthenia (also now in Ukraine). Throughout the territories it occupied, the Soviet Union carried out harsh political reprisals, including mass executions and deportations. Soviets kept negotiating with Britain and France, but in the end Stalin chose to reach an agreement with Germany. By doing so he hoped to keep the Soviet Union at peace with Germany and to gain time to build up the Soviet military establishment, which had been weakened by the purge of the Red Army officer corps in 1937. Read more about the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact: A 'honeymoon' for two dictators (Deutche Welle); The Night Stalin and Hitler Redrew the Map of Europe (RFERL).

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 154
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 13/06/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Poland
  • Keywords: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Encircling Russia, WWII
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Disinfo: A coup d'état occurred in Ukraine in 2013-2014

A coup d’état took place in Kyiv in 2013-2014, supported by the West.

Disproof

There was no coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014, this is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the Euromaidan protests. The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was an organic reaction by numerous parts of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013. See the full debunk of this disinformation claim here. MV-lehti's editor-in-chief resided for years in occupied Donetsk and founded another media outlet there. In the "About" section of the website the war in Ukraine is described as a "civil war", which is recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation. See the archived version of the web page here. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court stated that “the information available suggests that the situation within the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol amounts to an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation". This international armed conflict began at the latest on 26 February 2014 when the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of the Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian Government.

Disinfo: DNR and LNR gained independence from Ukraine

The DNR and LNR gained independence from Ukraine and are now fighting a civil war against the Ukrainian armed forces controlled by Kyiv, which are supported by the West.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine. Donetsk and Luhansk are part of Ukraine and controlled by Russia-backed armed formations. Not a single country has recognised them as independent. The war in Ukraine was provoked by Russia - it is not a civil war.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has stated that “the information available suggests that the situation within the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol amounts to an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation." This international armed conflict began at the latest on 26 February when the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian Government. Further debunk here. MV-lehti's editor-in-chief resided for years in occupied Donetsk and founded another media outlet there. In the "About" section of the website the war in Ukraine is described as a "civil war", which is recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation. See the archived version of the web page here.

Disinfo: US will give Ukraine $250 million for war and provocations against Russia

The United States will give Ukraine a quarter billion dollars for the war in Donbas. Next year, the Pentagon intends to use Ukraine as a military buffer between the United States and Russia and intends to turn Ukraine into a provocateur of Russia. The United States will never wage war against Russia, but they sell weapons to others to fight it, and Ukraine is an example of this.

Disproof

This is a Kremlin narrative claiming that Ukraine, the United States and the European Union are provoking Russia. According to the bill on the US military budget for 2020, the US government really intends to provide Ukraine with $250 million to improve the defence sector. However, this money will not go to the “war in Donbas”, but to the security and intelligence support areas. The main focus of the United States will be on strengthening Ukraine’s naval capabilities after Russia's aggressive actions in the Kerch Strait in November 2018. There is no talk of a "provocation ground" in the draft law. The United States insists that it is Ukraine and the countries of the Black Sea region that need to protect themselves from Russian attacks at sea.