Disinfo: The US organized a color revolution in France, to get rid of Macron

Summary

‘In recent years, Russophobia would take center stage in foreign policy designs of the United States.’ ‘And even though Frenchmen are always kin to fight for their rights even in the world where erosion of social security is now a global trend, it’s truly alarming that today’s protests across France bear all the attributes of a color revolution. And by this point, Washington has staged enough of those all across the globe to perfect its tools. And since Washington’s main goal is to remove Emmanuel Macron from power, it’s no wonder that protesters are chanting: “Macron must leave.”’ ‘It’s also particularly curious that any such provocation staged by the United States and Britain would typically be accompanied by a media campaign, aimed at distracting the public opinion from the real perpetrators of such protests. This time was no different, as Ukrainian intelligence agencies in a bid to please Washington tried to misguide French media sources into searching for a Russian trace behind the protests, but no evidence of Moscow having anything to do with it has been presented to them so far.’

Disproof

A conspiracy theory. Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Western Russophobia. No evidence given. According to the Alliance for Securing Democracy, about 600 Twitter accounts known to promote Kremlin views have begun focusing on France, boosting their use of the hashtag #giletsjaunes, the French name for the Yellow Vest movement. French security services are looking at the situation, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday in a radio interview with RTL.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 130
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17/12/2018
  • Outlet language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: France
  • Keywords: yellow vests
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Disinfo: The protests in France were organized by the UK and US

The United States and United Kingdom organized the “yellow vests” protests in France, but accused Russia of standing behind them. They try to expand the protests all over Europe in order to destroy the European Union. // The US tries to revive the historical confrontation between Germany and France in order to destroy the EU.

Disproof

No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin conspiracy narrative about "yellow vests" and the United States' actions in Europe.

Disinfo: An Orthodox church in Ukraine seized by unknown people

On 15 December, a group of 20 unknown people seized a Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox Church in Vinnytsia city (west-central Ukraine). // The building has been seized by people that support the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church.

Disproof

No evidence given. Ukrainian media published a video about a service held in that church on the 17 December. Vinnytsia police chief Serhiy Syniavskyi informed that they “sent a special patrol to the church to check things out. Everything was normal as usual". And Stop Fake contacted the caretakers of the Vinnytsia church and were told everything was normal and no one had taken control of the church. "Over the telephone we could hear singing from the mass that was taking place there at the time", mentions Stop Fake.

Disinfo: Ukrainian boats illegally crossed the Russian maritime border

In late November, Ukraine’s Berdyansk and Nikopol gunboats and the Yany Kapu tugboat illegally crossed the Russian maritime border as they sailed toward the Kerch Strait, the entrance to the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian vessels were seized by Russia after failing to respond to legal demands to leave the area. Moscow described the incident as a clear provocation in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and promised to suppress any attempts to challenge its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Disproof

On November 25 border patrol boats belonging to Russia’s FSB security service seized two small Ukrainian armoured artillery vessels and a tug boat and their crews after opening fire at them, wounding several Ukrainian servicemen. Russia argued that they were in Russian waters. However a bilateral treaty between Russia and Ukraine, signed in 2003 and ratified by Russia in 2004, governs the use of the Kerch strait and the Sea of Azov, which in the treaty is considered to be the “internal waters” of both Russia and Ukraine. See recurring disinformation examples about the Azov Sea.