Disinfo: Russia will create medium-range missiles because of the USA

Summary

Russia will work on the creation of medium-range missiles because the United States was the first to start creating such weapons in violation of the INF Treaty.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the INF Treaty. Russia bears primary responsibility for the end of the INF Treaty, because it has produced, tested and deployed the 9M729 missile, which violates the agreement. In July 2014, the then-US President Obama officially accused Russia of testing a missile in violation of the INF Treaty, which prohibits the US or Russia from possessing, producing or test-flying ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of between 500 and 5500 kilometres. In a joint statement released after the meeting held at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 December 2018, NATO Foreign Ministers stated that the United States has remained in full compliance with its obligations under the INF Treaty since it entered into force and that Russia has developed and fielded a missile system, the 9M729, which violates the INF Treaty and poses significant risks to Euro-Atlantic security." US and NATO have repeatedly engaged with Russia to preserve the INF treaty. For background on pro-Kremlin myths on the INF Treaty see here. The recent "Statement by the North Atlantic Council on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty" noted that "Russia today remains in violation of the INF Treaty, despite years of U.S. and Allied engagement, including a final opportunity over six months to honour its Treaty obligations. Russia bears sole responsibility for the demise of the Treaty".

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Interfax-russia (Archived)
Pervyi Kanal (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 169
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11/10/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: US, Russia
  • Keywords: INF Treaty, Missile defence system, War preparation, Vladimir Putin, NATO
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Disinfo: Ukraine derailed the plan to renew disengagement of forces in Donbas

Ukraine, under the far-fetched pretext of violation of the ceasefire, did not start the practical part of the disengagement [in Petrivske and Zolote]. Ukrainian armed formations derailed the plan on the renewal of disengagement of forces in the Petrovskoye area endorsed by the Contact Group.

Oct 10, 2019
Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative blaming Ukraine for the disruption of the agreed disengagement of the troops and hardware in Donbas. It also repeats common disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine. On October 7, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko mentioned that the disengagement has been thwarted by ongoing attacks on the areas where the disengagement should have taken place. "To our deep regret, you know that Petrivske and Zolote came under attack several days ago. As you remember, we agreed to begin the disengagement on the seventh day of truce in this area," Prystaiko said at a press-conference. Ukraine’s Defence Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk mentioned Ukraine’s readiness to withdraw troops from the agreed areas after the shelling stops. OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine confirmed the ceasefire violations in the Zolote disengagement area on October 5-6 and in Petrivske on October 9. In accordance with the Trilateral Contact Group Framework Decision the disengagement of forces and hardware begins only after a seven-day ceasefire is achieved and verified by the SMM.

Disinfo: EU integration means property restitution from a large part of Ukrainian territory in favour of EU countries

Poland and possibly Hungary are preparing documents on property located in Western Ukraine. Restitution is the key rule of EU integration. This is what Latvia went through and it had to return almost a half of Riga’s historical centre to previous owners. Restitution of property on the territories of Bessarabia, Zakarpattia, Bukovina, Galicia, Volyn, and part of Podillia regions are open questions. One may wonder if the rights of the Russian empire over Kyiv can be treated as restitution too.

Oct 10, 2019
Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about massive restitution claims that Ukrainians will face in case Ukraine joins the EU. In reality, property restitution is not a condition for EU membership and is not on the agenda of EU-Ukrainian relations. "Restitution is one of the most mythologised issues in Ukrainian politics. Politicians and experts contribute hugely to the belief that European integration will inevitably lead to a review of property rights and many ordinary citizens will lose their homes or have to pay compensation to foreigners, primarily to Poles," Europe Insight analysis reads. It includes an expert opinion that the property restitution issue is "above the EU's competence" and could not be inserted into the EU-Ukraine Association agreement even theoretically. Read an earlier disinformation case alleging that Poland wants restitution of II Rzeczpospolita from Belarus [Second Polish Republic] property and a total clean-up of the political sphere.

Disinfo: Ukraine is turning into neo-feudal state, ruled from the outside

Ukraine is increasingly legitimizing neo-feudalism. The land market will create regional landowners, who will become nobles with serfs and titles. Central overlords will be located outside Ukraine. Therefore Ukraine will return in the situation similar to periods in Polish history when the nobles had rather wide competences and the king did not have real power.

Oct 10, 2019
Disproof

This is a recurrent narrative aimed to discredit Ukrainian statehood and to draw imminently negative consequences of Ukraine's integration with the EU.

See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Zelenskyy has neither army nor police, he is surrounded by corrupted predators, post-Soviet countries are feudal principalities governed by the West, and that the idea of Ukraine is based on a mythologised lie.