Disinfo: The election in Ukraine is a race between neo-Nazis

Summary

The presidential elections in Ukraine have rightly been described as a race between three neo-Nazis, each more of a Russia-hating racist than the rest. Whichever one of them wins, the United States and the entire NATO alliance are mortally committed to supporting an extremist, out-of-control and desperate failing regime that would not hesitate to pull America into a thermonuclear war for its own selfish ends.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the elections in Ukraine, on Russophobia and nazism in Ukraine. None of the three leading presidential candidates proclaimed far right policies or beliefs and that the far right, nationalist candidate received 1.62% support. According to the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission the election was competitive, voters had a broad choice and turned out in high numbers. Fundamental freedoms were generally respected. Read the preliminary statement by OSCE/ODIHR here. For background, see EUvsDisinfo coverage here and here.

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Strategic Culture Foundation
  • Reported in: Issue 143
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 31/03/2019
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: US, Ukraine
  • Keywords: Elections, Nazi/Fascist
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Disinfo: Syrian refugees trapped in US-occupied Rukban camp

The Russian military has once again called on the US troops in Syria to discuss the situation in the Rukban camp, where some 40,000 refugees are kept in dire conditions. The US side is directly responsible for the critical state of the settlement under its occupation and has ignored earlier appeals from Moscow and Damascus to disband the camp. The US command has previously delayed the delivery of humanitarian aid to Rukban and refused to allow, let alone facilitate, the refugees’ passage out of the camp. Russia and Syria, meanwhile, have jointly set up humanitarian corridors and a mobile checkpoint for that purpose.

Mar 30, 2019
Disproof

Russia has routinely accused the US of manufacturing the humanitarian crisis in Rukban since 2017. However, a report delivered jointly by the UN, WHO, and the Red Cross states that the situation in the camp has been dire since its spontaneous creation in 2014, three years before the US-led coalition opened a military base in the area. Moscow's claim that the refugees are trapped in Rukban due to US "occupation" is false. Leaving the area to the south became impossible with the closure of the Syria-Jordan border in 2016. The current US stance is to encourage, but not compel, the refugees to remain inside the camp. A spokesperson for refugees in Rukban camp has denied allegations by Russia that the US detains them in the area and cited the "Russian siege" as the cause of their plight, confirming earlier reports on the issue. The opening in February 2019 of Russian-Syrian "humanitarian corridors" out of Rukban was thus met with no opposition from the US. However, the corridors were shut down within 24 hours as none of the refugees showed up to use them, fearing the prospect of persecution and forced conscription in regime-controlled areas of the country, as has been the case in "liberated" East Ghouta.

Disinfo: The United States and the EU want to isolate Russia

The United States made the decision – and Europe followed – to isolate Russia.

Mar 30, 2019
Disproof

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Western belligerence towards Russia, the West attempting to weaken and isolate Russia. While aware of pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns, the West is trying to keep open channels of communications with Russia. For instance, NATO as the Western organisation created cooperation bodies – the Permanent Joint Council and the NATO-Russia Council – to embody its relationship with Russia. It also invited Russia to cooperate on missile defence. The Warsaw Summit Communique 2016 describes NATO's official policy towards Russia: "The Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia. But we cannot, and will not, compromise on the principles on which our Alliance and security in Europe and North America rest." The EU and its member states have maintained a clear policy of reaching out to Russian society and youth, mainly through the Erasmus+ student exchange programme and other people to people contacts, in line with five guiding principles of relations with Russia.

Disinfo: The West aims to force Belarus to sever ties with Russia

The West has taken into account Belarus’ capacity to resist attempts to the perform ‘colour revolutions’, and has begun cooperating with the Belarusian authorities more actively than before. The West’s goal of overthrowing the “last dictatorship of Europe” remains intact, however the West’s agents are now ready to compromise with President Lukashenka. The main condition for compromise is Belarus’ refusal to make a military alliance with Russia. A period of warm relations between the West and Belarus will follow with a confrontation, with the priority being to rip Belarus away from its alliance with Russia. The situation of neutrality in external relations being imposed on Belarus by the West means that it has to end its union with Russia, withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union and the CSTO. Russia ‘security umbrella’ has allowed Minsk to avoid Ukraine’s or Yugoslavia’s fates. This policy risk the stability of Belarus.

Mar 29, 2019
Disproof

This is a conspiracy theory and recurring disinformation narrative about Western attempts to organize a colour revolution in Belarus and to disrupt its relations with Russia. Belarusian authorities have indeed voiced the idea of launching a new international negotiating process. Minsk has not questioned the country's membership of the Eurasian Economic Union and the CSTO or the continuation of military cooperation with Russia, and there is no proof that western countries have imposed these terms on the Belarusian authorities for further cooperation as alleged in the article.