Disinfo: "Russian threat" is only a pretext to station NATO military contingents near Russian borders

Summary

Western politicians, especially from the Baltic countries and Poland, keep talking about an alleged Russian threat. However, the alliance is fully aware that Russia would never attack a NATO country. The emphasis on the alleged “Russian threat” is only a pretext for stationing more military technology and NATO military contingents near the Russian borders.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the “Russian threat” is a false idea created and spread by NATO to encircle and weaken Russia.

In fact, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine in early 2014 was widely viewed both in North America and in Europe as violating the basic rules of the post-Cold War European order, especially the rule that borders are inviolable and the states should not use force to alter them or take territory from other states. As a result of Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, many Western states - including key EU members such as Germany and France - critically reassessed their “strategic partnership” policies towards Russia and began to view Russia as a serious challenge to the European security order.

NATO is not a threat to Russia. NATO is a defensive alliance. Its purpose is to protect the member states. NATO's exercises and military deployments are not directed against Russia – nor any other country. However, in March 2014, in response to Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, NATO suspended practical cooperation with Russia. NATO does not seek confrontation, but it cannot ignore Russia breaking international rules, undermining stability and security. See more for NATO's response to the crisis in Ukraine and security concerns in Central and Eastern Europe here.

Read more similar cases alleging that NATO exploits non-existent “Russian threat” to increase its presence close to Russian borders and that the US creates and spreads a false image about an “aggressive” Russia constituting a security “threat”.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 181
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/01/2020
  • Outlet language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Poland, US, Baltic states, Russia
  • Keywords: security threat, West, Anti-Russian, European Union, Encircling Russia, EU/NATO enlargement, NATO
see more

Disinfo: US and UK falsely blamed Russia for downing MH17

American and British authorities have not always told the truth in the past, have not always correctly described what happened. Remember all their claims that the Russians shot down the Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative that the downing of Flight MH17 has nothing to do with Russia and that there was a plot by the US, UK or the West to blame Russia. See more about "always blame the West" method. A special team, known as the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), was established to conduct the criminal investigation of the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in 2014. On the basis of the investigation conducted by the JIT, the Dutch Public Persecution service will prosecute 4 individuals for causing MH17 to crash and murdering the 289 persons on board. The trial will start in March 2020 at The Hague District Court. The JIT has concluded that flight MH17 was shot down on 17 July 2014 by a missile of the 9M38 series, launched by a BUK-TELAR, from farmland in the vicinity of Pervomaiskiy (or: Pervomaiskyi). At that time, the area was controlled by pro-Russian fighters. The BUK-TELAR was brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation and subsequently, after having shot down flight MH17, was taken back to the Russian Federation. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT), has concluded that the BUK-TELAR used to down MH17, originates from the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade, a unit of the Russian army from Kursk in the Russian Federation. Two governments are formally holding Russia accountable. The US has supported the decisions by the Netherlands and Australia, highlighting "complete confidence in the findings from the Joint Investigation Team". See more disinformation cases as ell as their debunk on MH 17 flight's downing; on US fabricating evidence; on the West or Western media fabricating evidence against Russia.

Disinfo: The US plans to turn the Baltic states into an empty field and arena for Drang nach Osten against Russia

NATO upcoming military exercises in the Baltic states close to the borders of Belarus and Russia have to be understood through the prism of the aggressive US intentions to establish its world order. This can be done only through the military means and direct military aggression as it earlier happened to Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Libya. The US views the Baltic states not as independent countries but as NATO springboard for conducting military attack against Belarus and Russia. The colonizers want to wipe the territories of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from population to organize an offensive NATO’s fist for American Drang nach Osten. The Baltic states’ governments are tasked to clear the territories of their quasi-countries from the population that NATO does not need. In order to do so, three types of actions were undertaken. First, Russian-speaking residents were recognized as non-citizens as part of the slavery philosophy of NATO and its Baltic puppets. In order to put Russians in unbearable conditions and to make them leave the Baltic states, wide-scale Russophobic policies were staged by the US and the EU. In fact, Americans do not need Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians either. Hence, the second NATO step was to push the most active part of the Baltic states’ societies to other EU countries. Third, the remaining population is kept under constant fear of alleged threat from the east, provoking stress and further emigration. Therefore, very soon the territories of the Baltic states will be completely depopulated and will turn into an empty field which NATO will be able to use as it wants.

Disproof

This publication represents a mix of conspiracies consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about NATO aggressive plans towards Belarus and Russia, socio-economic degradation in the Baltic States, lost sovereignty / external control. The disinformation message involves a major element of Nazi ideology – Drang nach Osten – to draw parallels between Nazi Germany and the US / West / NATO. It also mispresents Latvian and Estonian domestic legislation on citizenship, demographic and migration trends as NATO-driven Russophobic policies aimed to depopulate the Baltic states. NATO's presence in the region is at the request of the host nations. NATO has taken defensive and proportionate steps in response to a changed security environment. Following Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, Allies requested a greater NATO presence in the region. A 2016 Gallup poll found that most people in Allied countries in the Baltic region associate NATO with the protection of their country.

Disinfo: Trump fought a battle against the "deep state" in order to become its leader

For years, President Trump did not rely on the “deep state” and did not allow the intelligence services to monopolise his own actions. He fought a battle against the “deep state” in order to become its leader.

Disproof

No evidence given. This is a conspiracy theory, part of a well-established Russian disinformation narrative about a global elite secretly ruling the world, and specifically, a so-called ‘deep state’ in the United State that promotes aggression wars and prevents US reconciliation with Russia.

The idea of a "deep state" has always been very popular among conspiracy theorists. Its manifestations might be different, but generally, the concept conjures up the image of a small group of men, deciding the fate of the world behind the scenes. However, there is no evidence of such a "deep state" existing in the United States. No reputable political scientists and researchers confirm the existence of a “deep state” in the United States.