Disinfo: The West has one goal: to eliminate Russia

Summary

The West has one goal - to cash out the former USSR and the Russian Federation. Then they can accept Russia into the so-called family of civilized peoples, but each part separately [...] to push around these parts and put them under control.

If Russia follows the path that the West dreams of, [...] the Russian people, the ethnic group, will hardly be able to survive.

Russia needs to ensure its security and strategic stability.

In today's conditions, all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal to inflict a strategic defeat on us so that our people suffer.

Disproof

An unfounded statement, aiming to stir up anti-Western sentiment in Russia without providing any evidence.

Pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy, ruin Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.

The West has never strived to destroy Russia as a state. From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the West has been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow. According to the 1997 Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, Russia was viewed as a partner of the alliance.

The EU has conducted half-year summits with the Russian leadership for years until 2014 in an effort to enhance relations. EU has also tried to change the course of Russia's aggressive actions and give diplomacy a chance such as with the efforts of HRVP Josep Borrell - see here.

The West emphasizes that they are not striving for the collapse of Russia or for some kind of reformatting of it. US President Joe Biden, speaking recently in Warsaw, addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia. French president Macron stated that "Russia must be defeated but not crushed."

The sharp deterioration in relations between the West and Russia is directly linked to Moscow's illegal actions. A number of issues affect bilateral relations, including Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere, and repeated malign activities including disinformation campaigns.

The EU imposed restrictive measures on Moscow in 2014, which have been amplified and broadened since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and creating a serious danger to European security.

For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 330
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25/02/2023
  • Article language(s) Armenian, Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia
  • Keywords: West, Anti-Russian, Russophobia, Encircling Russia, Destabilising Russia, NATO, Ethnic Russians, ethnic cleansing
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Disinfo: Ukraine conflict made Europe a slave to the US

On the enslavement of Europe to the United States, [...] the conflict in Ukraine marked the end of a short period of European independence and made Europe dependent on the United States. European independence rested on Russia's abundant energy supplies and the ability to negotiate agreements with countries not subject to Washington's domination. Now, that's over. Europe is now economically dependent on the United States and politically subject to orders from Washington.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an alleged loss of sovereignty of Europe/ the EU and its member states. Pro-Kremlin outlets often portray European states as vassals, puppet states or colonies of the US and NATO.

This message is part of a popular pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, claiming that the energy crisis in Europe is caused by an “irrational” European plan to get rid of its dependency on Russian gas. This narrative promotes a traditional pro-Kremlin message that Russia is the only reliable source of gas for Europe, while the American LNG is too expensive.

Disinfo: Ukrainian authorities are preparing a provocation against Transnistria

The Ukrainian authorities are preparing a provocation against Transnistria. The goal is to invade and capture the republic. The invasion will be motivated by the alleged offensive of the Russian Armed Forces from the Transnistrian territories. This provocation will be carried out by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and militants of the nationalist formation "Azov".

Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to portray Ukraine as an aggressor state.

Moldova has dismissed Russian claims of alleged Ukrainian plot to invade a breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria after staging a false-flag operation.

Disinfo: Biden decided to destroy Nord Stream after nine months of secret talks with his team

Initially, the US planned to blow up the Nord Stream gas pipeline through a covert operation, but after Biden’s statement that he knew how to stop Nord Stream 2, the explosion was postponed, and the explosives waited at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for months. American divers planted explosives under the pipeline last summer during the Baltops 2022 exercise – three months later, the Norwegians detonated them. Biden took a decision to implement this sabotage operation after nine months of secret talks with his national security team.

Disproof

Disinformation alleging that the US is behind the recent sabotage explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

Investigative journalist, critical of the US government and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Seymour Hersh claims that the US was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. In a self-published blog post, Hersh claimed that US Navy divers helped by Norway had planted explosives on the pipelines running under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany last June and detonated them three months later.