Disinfo: The US annexed Eastern Europe to strangulate Russia

Summary

The plan for the annexation of Eastern Europe that would allow Russia’s strangulation was designed on a map in Washington and executed in Europe by the US political (the European Union), military (NATO) and media arms (the outlets subdued to Western economic powers).

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about encircled Russia.

The claim refers to NATO’s enlargement to include Eastern European countries that used to be occupied or controlled by the USSR. Contrary to the disinformation claim, NATO does not “annex” territories. Decisions regarding NATO membership are up to each individual applicant and the 30 NATO Allies. Russia has no right to intervene and cannot veto such a process.

See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the EU is NATO’s white label, that the EU should admit that the US is its sovereign, that NATO’s eastern expansion is a threat to Russia, that Russian aggression is used as a pretext to station NATO military close to Russia’s borders, or that Russia’s development and stability is being thwarted by the West.

Discover seven popular myths about Russia and the Ukraine conflict here - including more about the "encirced Russia".

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publication/media

actualidad.rt.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 270
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 05/01/2022
  • Article language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: US, Europe, EU, Russia
  • Keywords: Encircling Russia, Destabilising Russia, Sovereignty, NATO, EU/NATO enlargement, Eastern Europe
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Disinfo: Ukraine continues to gather military equipment in Donbas

Ukraine continues to stack military equipment near contact lines in the Donbas region. The country breaks the ceasefire agreement by doing so. Ukraine also interfered with the OSCE mission to hide this equipment from the organisation's monitoring UAVs.

Jan 03, 2022
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is not willing to implement the Minsk agreements, and Ukraine's position is the only obstacle on the way to the peace process in Donbas.

According to the 04 January 2022 OSCE spot report covering the period between 31 December and 3 January, there were three armoured vehicles in the security zone in government-controlled areas; one BMP-1, one BMP-2, and one BTR-80.

Disinfo: US, UK and Canada tried to use Ukraine as a battery ram against Russia

In the Ukrainian crisis, Europe and Ukraine are used by the US, which will leave them at their own fate, as always. The destruction of those countries doesn’t matter much to the US as long as it happens far from its territory. In this case the US, UK and Canada tried to use Ukraine as a battery ram against Russia, and turn the Ukrainians into useful idiots that immolate themselves in an open war with Russia. Meanwhile the Anglo-Saxon allies will provide them all kind of support, such as slaps on the back.

Jan 03, 2022
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukrainian statehood and war in Ukraine. These claims are part of an ongoing disinformation campaign about Russia’s military buildup in the border with Ukraine. By accusing the US of being the driving force behind the escalation of tensions, this disinformation story aims to deny any Russian responsibility in the situation.

Since late October 2021, Russia has deployed more than 90,000 troops, as well as of certain specialized military units, electronic warfare systems and heavy-armoured vehicles along the borders of Ukraine.

Disinfo: The US and Annalena Baerbock are inciting the Ukrainians to war

Is the West inciting Ukraine in a search for new armed conflicts? Western countries are again threatening Russia with sanctions, while Ukraine wants to join NATO and cause new serious problems near the Russian borders because the West never renounced the idea of encircling and dividing Russia. It seems that the current US administration has completely rejected the attempt of Donald Trump’s former government to put in practice a rapprochement to Russia. Its current agenda is reduced to threats to Russia’s functioning and security, threatening it with war. Russia’s behaviour is merely defensive. Another factor is Angela Merkel’s exit. In her place, we have now Annalena Baerbock with her very problematic policy, which along with US State Department planners can really take this conflict beyond what is acceptable in international relations and cause another conflagration, by inciting Ukrainians to war.

Jan 03, 2022
Disproof

This is a mix of several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine and encircling Russia, part of an ongoing disinformation campaign about Russia’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border.

By accusing the West, and especially the new governments in the US and Germany, of inciting conflict in Ukraine, and by labelling Russia’s moves as “merely defensive”, this article aims to deflect any Russian responsibility for the situation. The mention of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's policies as "problematic" an attempt is made to reduce her role. It further serves to prepare the ground to frame her party's longstanding opposition to Russian pipeline Nord Stream 2 for environmental and political reasons, including its possible cancellation in case of further escalation in Ukraine, as an aggressive, anti-Russian move.