Disinfo: Soros' structures saw an opportunity in the pandemic to attack the “bad guys”

Summary

An article in The Guardian affirms that the coronavirus pandemic became a blessing for authoritarian figures, tyrants and zealots all over the world. The first in the list of “bad guys” was Syrian leader Bashar Al Assad, criticised by the West when he tries to liberate regions of his country captured by extremists, and quoting data from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US structure that is regularly funded by the Open Society Foundation of the scandalous oligarch George Soros. China is also criticised, accused of maintaining a million Uyghur Muslims in training camps and forcing them to work instead of allowing them to stay at home. The article also quotes the head of Chatham House, funded by Soros too.

Disproof

The article is a deliberate distortion of the original op-ed by Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian, trying to discredit it in order to defend Kremlin allies such as Syria’s Bashar Al Assad; or China’s Xi Jinping. While Freedland’s piece describes Assad as deliberately leaving Syrians in opposition-held areas more vulnerable to the pandemic, the disinformation article sticks to a recurrent Russian narrative by labelling Assad’s opponents as “extremists” and accusing the West of supporting terrorism for criticising Damascus’ actions. By describing The Guardian and think tanks CSIS and Chatham House as “Soros’ structures”, the article aims to portray them as having a hidden agenda linked to billionaire George Soros, a frequent target of pro-Kremlin disinformation. Both CSIS and Chatham House receive funds from the Open Society Foundation (among many other donors) and report that to the public openly. Other examples of disinformation narratives on George Soros can be seen in our database, such as his alleged promotion of massive migration to Western countries, his destabilising manoeuvres all over the world, his participation in ‘colour revolutions’ and protests in Romania, Russia, Armenia, Czech Republic or Mexico (among many others), his supposed links to the whistleblower who triggered the impeachment process against Donald Trump, or his adoption of the term “conspiracy theory” to discredit those who speak the truth.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 198
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 16/05/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: China, UK, Syria, US
  • Keywords: coronavirus, The Guardian, George Soros, Bashar al-Assad, Syrian War
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Disinfo: EU is on the verge of collapse

It is no longer unlikely that countries like Italy or Spain will leave the eurozone (as a result of the selfish European response toward the Coronavirus epidemic). The collapse of the eurozone is the first step towards the collapse of the European Union.

Disproof

Groundless speculation made without evidence.

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the alleged disintegration of the European Union as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. See similar disinformation cases that the EU's health and safety policies have failed, that the COVID-19 outbreak means the end of Europe, and that many European states will likely cease to exist due to the pandemic.

Disinfo: It is a lie, that the USSR along with Germany is responsible for the outbreak of the WWII

In the USA and European countries, different statements are made about the role of the USSR in the Victory. Unfortunately, there are attempts to review the results and reasons for the outbreak of war and the role of the USSR in the defeat of fascism in this war. This includes those positions when the USSR, along with Germany, is accused of starting this war. This can be called, nothing other than a lie.

Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it accuses the West of the “falsification and re-writing” of WWII history in order to “minimise the role of the USSR in victory over Nazism” and to “get rid of its share of the blame for the outbreak of WWII”. It is also an attempt to erode the disastrous historical role of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Both Nazi Germany and the Stalinist USSR were harsh totalitarian regimes, which directly caused the deaths of tens of millions of people. The European Parliament resolution on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe stressed the fact that WWII was an immediate result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The resolution is aimed at the promotion of historical remembrance about WWII and the condemnation of totalitarian ideologies. Western countries do not question the role of the USSR in the victory over Nazi Germany. The signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was a mutual decision of two regimes (Nazi Germany and the Stalinist USSR) aimed at the division of Eastern and Central Europe between these two powers. It is a fact that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact contained the Secret Supplementary Protocol, which assumed the division of Poland and other Eastern European countries between the USSR and Germany. Read similar examples of Russian historical revisionism concerning this issue such as the Signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact thwarted the UK’s expansionist plans in Europe, the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact did not violate the rights of the Polish state, the shift of all blame for WWII outbreak at the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact the best example of manipulation of history, the USSR is not to blame for the beginning of World War II, the USSR was not an aggressor in World War 2, To assign equal responsibility for the outbreak of WWII to Nazi Germany and the USSR is falsification.

Disinfo: The coronavirus vaccine will reduce the population

The new coronavirus vaccine will be used to reduce the population. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides funding of up to100 million USD for discovering better ways to identify, isolate and treat cases of new coronavirus infection.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory, with no evidence provided to support the claim.It is a pro-Kremlin narrative against billionaire Bill Gates and attacking vaccination programmes. Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist, became a frequent target of conspiracy theory followers and is being accused of sponsoring and creating coronavirus, for aspiring to reduce the population and poison it with vaccines. Similar cases about Bill Gates can be found here.