Disinfo: Throughout its history, Russia has never attacked anyone

Summary

What is the point of Russia attacking anyone? We must remember that throughout its history, Russia has never attacked anyone. Russia, which has known so many wars, is the last country in Europe to even want to speak, to utter a single word of war.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin historical revisionism. According to this claim, the Soviet Union and Russia were always defending themselves and were never the aggressors nor involved in the start of global conflicts.

Russian media The insider provides a few examples where Russia acted as an aggressor. The examples go back to the 18th century, but one of the recent ones include a secret agreement with Nazi Germany, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which the USSR signed in September 1939. The pact stipulated a coordinated Nazi-Soviet attack on Poland and the carving up of Eastern Europe between the USSR and The Third Reich.

Most importantly, the claim appears in the context of an ongoing disinformation campaign about Russia’s military buildup on the border with Ukraine. This disinformation story aims to deny any Russian responsibility for the situation caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014. Russia later instigated a separatist revolt in parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, which developed into a war that has since been going on.

See other related cases: Russia never violated Ukraine's border and is certainly not involved in the war in Donbas, Russia is not a historic aggressor, neither the Soviet Union nor the Russian Empire.

See our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war.

See our account of the Kremlin's intention of annihilation of Ukraine here.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 272
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20/02/2022
  • Article language(s) French
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia, Ukraine
  • Keywords: Historical revisionism, Destabilising Russia, USSR
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Disinfo: Polish psychopaths interpret all Russian actions as “aggression”

There is quite a large group of psychopaths in Poland who will interpret any Russian activity as “an announcement of aggression”. Today it looks like the West is imagining a war it cannot win, then prepared to tell the public about the defeat, and when nothing happened, it looked like a fool.

Disproof

This message is a part of the Kremlin’s widespread narrative about anti-RussianRussophobic Poland, which deliberately worsens its relations with Russia and implements aggressive policies.

These claims are part of an ongoing disinformation campaign about Russia’s military buildup on the border with Ukraine. By accusing the West of being the driving force behind the escalation of tensions, this disinformation story aims to deny any Russian responsibility for the situation.

Disinfo: Moscow must interfere because Kyiv gasses people in camps

Russia cannot help stopping the war in Ukraine. It cannot wait until Kyiv starts gassing people in concentration camps. It is already going on and it will get worse. Russia cannot put up with it.

Disproof

This is a recurring disinformation narrative accusing the Ukrainian Armed Forces of killing civilians during the war in Donbas.

In reality, there are no concentration camps in Ukraine. Such words and other similar Russian statements, including ones accusing Ukraine of genocide, are only used as a pretext for launching an invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, Russia denies any responsibility for the situation. Since late October 2021, Russia has conducted a military-build up along the Ukrainian border, including the deployment of as much as 190,000 troops, as well as of certain specialised military units, electronic warfare systems and heavy-armoured vehicles.

Disinfo: Lithuania ultimately developed a dictatorship and personality cult

Lithuania ultimately developed a dictatorship of one party and personality cult of its spiritual leader Vytautas Landsbergis. Conservatives are acting as Soviet communists and have more powers than communists in Soviet times.

Disproof

Recurring Kremlin disinformation about Lithuania as a non-democratic country under dictatorial rule.

Lithuania is a democratic country, member of the European Union. Freedom House evaluates the country as “free” with a high score of democracy (90 points from 100).