Disinfo: The West destabilises Belarus to destroy Russian civilisation, an alternative route of human development

Summary

Leading Western think tanks set the trends and define collective West policies towards Belarus. An analysis of publications by Northern American think tanks demonstrates that the main Belarus-related strategic goals were to create conflict in Belarus, to topple Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and to tear Belarus away from Russia. This would become the West’s success in destroying Russian civilisation as an alternative route of human development. It is clear that Poles and Lithuanians were only the executors of a thoroughly planned hybrid attack. However, Westerners failed to bring discord to Belarus-Russia relations which did not allow them to organise a colour revolution and to knock Belarus out of Russian civilisation. Belarus is just a square on a chessboard. The Western strategy to withdraw Belarus from the Russian camp remains long-term and unchanged. The Belarusian proposal to become a bridge amid the geopolitical conflict was nearly burnt down. The West tried to put Belarusians into impoverishment and emigration just as happened in Serbia, Ukraine and Libya where colour revolutions replaced legal authorities.

Disproof

This article promotes recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about West's attempt to organise a colour revolution in Belarus and to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations, and about Poland and Lithuania as the US's puppets. It also promotes the concept of the Russian world / civilisation and Russia superiority by claiming an "alternative route of human development" The Russian world is an imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Belarusians and Ukrainians, as well as their sovereignty. Belarus and Ukraine are well-defined nation-states with a long history, which preserved their languages, literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. There is no evidence that Poland, the Baltic states or any other Western governments are in any involved in the protests in Belarus. Lithuania and Poland are independent states, which shape their own foreign and domestic policies. The US is an important ally to the EU but EU policy is not determined by the US, as explained by the EU High Representative. The large-scale Belarusian protests began in Minsk on August 9 against the results of the presidential election, and then in other cities. People revolted against election fraud and police violence towards thousands of rally participants. The European Council condemned the violence against peaceful protesters and announced that it would soon adopt a list of sanctions for those responsible for violence in Belarus. "As the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair, and did not meet international standards, the EU does not recognise the results presented by the Belarus authorities," is mentioned in a European Council press release. However, Western countries are not waging any "hybrid attack" as alleged in the publication. Pro-Kremlin media frequently use disinformation narratives about popular protests around the world allegedly incited and funded by the US and other Western states, including colour revolutions in post-Soviet states, the “Arab Spring” revolts, Euromaidan in Ukraine, protests in Catalonia and others. This narrative claims that protests, disorders and civil uprisings are never manifestations of popular discontent but are “colour revolutions” directed and funded by the West. Read earlier disinformation cases claiming that Russia saved Belarus from Western bombing like in Yugoslavia, that the West destroyed the USSR and is currently targeting the Union State between Belarus and Russia, that the EU is trying to disrupt Belarus-Russia relations, that the West's only interest in Belarus is to make it anti-Russian, and that Belarus faces either normal development under Russia or a forced Polonization and economic devastation.

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sputnik.by (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 212
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17/09/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Libya, Serbia, Poland, US, Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Russian superiority, Anti-Russian, Alexander Lukashenko, Colour revolutions, Russian world, Conspiracy theory
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Disinfo: West deliberately provokes protests in Belarus through sanctions

People of Belarus – someone wants to go out (protest) on the streets, but some do not want to. And what is (the West) doing with those who do not want to take to the streets? The West wants to drag them out onto the streets with the help of a sharp deterioration in their quality of life (through sanctions). For this purpose, they pose the problem of the collapse of the (economic) system.

Sep 16, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Belarus. The leaders of the European Union and the United States are indeed preparing a new package of sanctions in connection with actions against demonstrators in Belarus. However, the restrictions will not be directed against the population of the country, the sanctions will affect only the top leadership of Belarus, which coordinates and commits violence against peaceful demonstrators.

"The Belarusian regime is not working for the best interests of the Belarusian people. The regime has used ill-gotten wealth to amass and maintain power, through a level of corruption that is all too apparent to those living inside Belarus, not to mention to the rest of the world. And now, after being clearly rejected by his own people, the ruler of Belarus is using violence to maintain his grip on power and relying upon – increasingly upon support from Moscow to prop him up," said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun.

The EU Council is also working to impose personal sanctions against high-ranking Belarusian officials responsible for violence, repression and electoral fraud. This refers to the prohibition of Belarusian officials from entering the European Union and the freezing of their assets in the EU. "We are in the process of adopting sanctions for a substantial number of those responsible for violence, repression and falsification of election results. They are, right now, under examination of the Council working parties with a view to adoption as soon as possible" according to High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell. None of the countries of the European Union, nor the U.S., have anything to do with the mass protests in Belarus: rallies of thousands broke out after Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled for 26 years, declared that he had “won a convincing victory” in the elections. The current protests in Belarus began on the evening of 9 August; to disperse the protesters, the security forces were using rubber bullets, flash grenades, tear gas, shockers and water cannons. On the day of voting, the centre of Minsk was blocked by security forces, whilst communications and the Internet were jammed in the city.

Disinfo: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and the West force the people to go on the streets

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (and the collective West that guides her), just like a dictator does, tries to force the people of Belarus to act and take them to the streets. People who do not want to protest, are forced to protest. Either through manipulation of information, slander and lies. Or through a sharp deterioration of their economic situation.

Sep 16, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Belarus and Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus. The radio podcast does not provide any evidence that the West, EU, NATO or other foreign forces or foundations are involved in any way in the protests in Belarus. There are no examples of how people are forced to go on the streets. Large-scale protests began in Minsk on 9 August after the results of the presidential election, and then in other cities. People revolted against what they call election fraud but also against the aggressiveness of the police, who arrested and ill-treated hundreds of rally participants. The European Council condemned, on 19 August 2020, the violence against peaceful protesters and announced that it would soon adopt a list of sanctions for those responsible for violence in Belarus. "As the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair, and did not meet international standards, the EU does not recognise the results presented by the Belarus authorities," stated a European Council press release. French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel made the offer of an EU-led mediation for Belarus. After EU talks, German chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that there should be no external intervention: “For us it is clear that Belarus must find its own path, that must happen via dialogue in the country and there must be no intervention from outside,” she said. Read earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland is preparing a Euromaidan scenario for Belarus, that Belarus will turn into anti-Russia in case it does not deepen integration with Russia, that the West's only interest in Belarus is to make it anti-Russian, that a coup and foreign military invasion may happen, that the USA, NATO and EU want to dictate to the people of Belarus a regime-change, that the West is helping to destabilise the situation in Belarus before the election, and that the West dreams of tearing Belarus apart from Russia and to organise a Ukraine-like scenario.

Disinfo: Navalny was not poisoned, it was his chronic diseases that worsened

Nobody poisoned (Russian opposition leader Alexei) Navalny anywhere. Navalny was hospitalised only due to the worsening of his critical illnesses.

Sep 16, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. The poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was confirmed in three independent laboratories. The German Federal government said that toxicological tests provided “unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group” in the blood samples of Alexei Navalny. On 14 September, the German government provided research results by two more independent laboratories in France and Sweden, which confirmed the presence of a poison from the Novichok group in the body of politician Alexei Navalny. As explained in Berlin, samples taken from Navalny were sent to these two countries for independent investigation. In addition, samples were also sent to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which will conduct its own research. Background: A prominent Russian opposition figure, Alexey Navalnyfell ill during a flight and the plane had to make an emergency landing in Omsk. Doctors there said he was in a coma and they were trying to save his life. Since then he has beentransferred to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charité Hospital. On 14 September, the German Charité hospital said that Navalny had been disconnected from a ventilator. Doctors also reported that the opposition politician started getting up from his hospital bed. Doctors cannot yet predict the long-term consequences for his body. Earlier, German media reported that specialists from the Munich Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Bundeswehr found traces of a toxic substance from the Novichok group in the blood, urine and skin of Alexei Navalny, as well as on a bottle that he had with him on the plane. TheEuropean Union condemned the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms.