DISINFO: The USA and NATO will not defend the Baltic states from a Russian attack
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: pl.rubaltic.ru (archived)*
  • Date of publication: May 20, 2021
  • Article language(s): Polish
  • Reported in: Issue 245
  • Countries / regions discussed: US, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
Tags:
Baltic states NATO US presence in Europe Military Russian expansionism

DISINFO: The USA and NATO will not defend the Baltic states from a Russian attack

SUMMARY

The USA can come with the help [to the Baltic states] only if it lays in its tactical interest in the geopolitical game with Russia. Under certain circumstances, it may be unprofitable for the Americans to raise the question of “Putin's imperial aggression against the Russian neighbours", so even if Russia attacks, NATO allies will simply ignore the Baltic states.

RESPONSE

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on NATO and the US military presence in Europe - it claims that the United States will not protect its European allies if it goes against the US national interests.

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is the critical component of the Alliance – it assumes that if a NATO Ally is a victim of an armed attack, every other member of the Alliance will consider this an attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked. In other words, Article 5 is the cornerstone of NATO – it has been invoked only once in history as a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The United States is the founding member of NATO and plays a crucial role in European and transatlantic security – since the end of WWII.

NATO has enhanced its forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, in a measures and balanced manner, with four multinational battalion-size battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, on a rotational basis. These battlegroups, led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the United States respectively, make clear that an attack on one Ally would be considered an attack on the whole Alliance.

Read similar disinformation cases: the US always abandons its allies; US troops will not defend Poland in case of a Russian attack and the USD will fulfil NATO’s Article 5 only if it is required by its national interests.

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Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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