Disinfo: Three Seas Initiative is a geopolitical concept designed to promote American interests

Summary

The American gas industry perceives Poland as the agent of influence, which should promote the American LNG among the members of the Three Seas Initiative. This geopolitical concept was designed to promote the American interests in Europe (undermining cooperation between Russia and Europe).

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe, alleging that the United States fully controls the foreign policy of the EU member states, including Poland (these countries are often presented as the American “vassals”). See similar cases here, here and here. The Three Seas Initiative is a forum of 12 countries from Central and Eastern Europe launched in 2015. The main goal of this Initiative is to promote better connectivity among the Member States, with a particular focus on infrastructure and energy. The main projects discussed at the forums of the Three Seas Initiative are the Via Carpathia, Baltic-Adriatic Corridor, Via Baltica, Rail Baltica, LNG infrastructure in Poland and Croatia.

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publication/media

pl.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 160
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 31/07/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Polish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Poland, US
  • Keywords: US presence in Europe
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Disinfo: There is no evidence of Russia’s involvement in the Skripals' poisoning

U.S. Congressmen are insisting on introducing a new package of restrictions against Moscow because of the poisoning of the ex-GRU officer Sergey Skripal. However, no evidence of Russia’s involvement in the Salisbury incident […] has been provided by the West.

Jul 30, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Skripal poisoning claiming that the United Kingdom was never able to prove a “Russian trace” and did not provide detailed evidence of Russia’s involvement. British police and investigations from the intelligence services have produced hard forensic evidence which was sufficient to charge two Russian nationals, identified as officers of the Russian Military Intelligence, GRU, for the attack on the Skripals. Following this attack, the United Kingdom notified the OPCW, invited them to confirm the identity of the substance involved, and briefed members of the Security Council. The OPCW’s independent expert laboratories confirmed the UK’s identification of the Russian produced Novichok nerve agent.

Disinfo: Schengen visa refusals violate Crimeans' human rights

The refusal by a number of EU member states to issue Schengen visas to Crimeans whose passports were issued after 2014 is a violation of human rights. This practice aims to punish the residents of Crimea for their will to self-determination, expressed during the 2014 referendum in which 97 percent of the peninsula’s inhabitants voted to reject the coup in Kyiv and rejoin Russia.

Jul 30, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea. Disinformation message appeared after a statement of the head of the European Union’s mission in Moscow, Marcus Ederer. On July 22, he stressed that the European Union did not recognise and will not recognise the Russian annexation of Crimea, therefore Russian passports issued in Crimea by the Russian authorities after the annexation will not be recognized and accepted when applying for a Schengen visa. Ederer advised residents of the peninsula to visit European countries using their Ukrainian documents. With the annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea, Russia forcibly imposed the citizenship of the occupying country on two million Crimeans. Crimeans remain citizens of Ukraine, who can obtain a biometric passport and freely take advantage of the visa-free regime with the European Union by visiting a wide list of states without obtaining any additional visas. The claim that the so-called Crimean referendum was an expression of Crimeans' self-determination is not true. The so-called referendum was organised by a self-proclaimed Crimean leadership lacking democratic legitimacy and installed by armed Russian military personnel following the seizure of public buildings.On March 27, 2014 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on states, international organizations and specialized agencies not to recognize any change in the status of Crimea or the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol, and to refrain from actions or dealings that might be interpreted as such. In March 2019 on the fifth anniversary of Crimea's annexation, the EU reiterated its position of non-recognition of illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol. You can read more on the topic here, here and here.

Disinfo: Poroshenko and Saakashvili came to power thanks to the external support

Presidents who come to power thanks to the “orange revolutions” are doomed. Saakashvili left Georgia and cannot enter the country, and the other day Poroshenko left Ukraine. The former and the latter came to power thanks to the external [foreign] support and caused irreparable harm to their countries.

Jul 30, 2019
Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the “colour revolutions” and the foreign support of the protests in Georgia (recent cases here and here and an older one here) and Ukraine (the recent case here). Both presidents of Georgia and Ukraine were elected in democratic elections in the aftermath of the anti-governmental protests.