Disinfo: The US Embassy in Armenia is a mini-Pentagon, escalating tension in the area and the Middle East

Summary

The current strategy of the US is to stoke existent tensions in the Middle East and make them explode, to harm some actors as much as possible. The escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a new advance in this direction. The US Embassy in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is carrying out high-scale subversive work, targeting Iran and Russia, among others. The building is a mini-Pentagon with hundreds of false diplomats who act from there.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory with no proof presented to support the claim. There is zero evidence that the US had anything to do between the military escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan of July 2020. This is part of a recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying the US as an aggressive and destabilising power all over the world. See other examples in our database, such as claims that the US is encircling Russia with biological labs for a future attack, that it is preparing people to protest all over the world, or that it is ready to launch wars against China and Russia, to invade Venezuela, Mexico, Ukraine, Kaliningrad, Belarus and Iran, and to carry out a false flag operation in Alaska to blame Russia.

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mundo.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 207
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 31/07/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, US, Russia
  • Keywords: Caucasus, Destabilising Russia, Middle East
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Disinfo: NATO is trying to encircle Russia and has one goal - to neutralise Russia

NATO forces are trying to encircle Russia. The ring around Russia is not weakening, no. They are enlarging the contingent, increasing the number of manoeuvres and provocations near the borders. All this is accompanied by an increasing anti-Russian hysteria. With the disappearance of the Warsaw Pact and the entire Soviet bloc, no agreements were respected, NATO moved to the East. NATO has one goal – to neutralise Russia.

Jul 30, 2020
Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO allegedly pursuing a belligerent and hostile agenda against Russia. First, NATO is not encircling Russia. Russia's land border is just over 20,000 kilometres long. Of that, less than one-sixteenth (1,215 kilometres), is shared with NATO members. Russia has land borders with 14 countries. Only five of them are NATO members. Then, NATO enlargement was not "contrary to promises". NATO Allies take decisions by consensus and these are recorded. There is no record of any such decision having been taken by NATO. Even if there was a personal assurance from an individual leader, it could not replace Alliance consensus and does not constitute a formal NATO agreement. This promise was never made, as confirmed by Mikhail Gorbachev, then-president of the Soviet Union:

"The topic of 'NATO expansion' was not discussed at all, and it wasn't brought up in those years. I say this with full responsibility. Not a single Eastern European country raised the issue, not even after the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist in 1991. Western leaders didn't bring it up either."

Central and Eastern European countries began seeking NATO membership in the early 1990s. NATO actively sought to create a cooperative environment that was conducive to enlargement while simultaneously building special relations with Russia. Furthermore, NATO does not "expand" in the imperialistic sense as described by pro-Kremlin media. Rather, it considers the applications of candidate countries who want to join the alliance based on their own national will. As such, NATO enlargement is not directed against Russia. NATO's "Open Door Policy" is based on Article 10 of the Alliance's founding document, the North Atlantic Treaty (1949). The Treaty states that NATO membership is open to any "European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area". Every sovereign nation has the right to choose its own security arrangements. See more similar disinfo cases alleging that NATO promised Russia it would not expand to the East and that NATO forgot all the previously existing agreements and expanded despite promises made to Gorbachev.

Disinfo: George Soros is beginning to set his sights on LNR and DNR

Soros is beginning to set his sights on LNR and DNR, that is a fact and it is not good. Soros’s leftist agents are trying to ignite “Maidans” and riots in Donbas. Soros calls for rebellion in the Donbass, destroying Russian unity.

Jul 30, 2020
Disproof

Conspiracy theory based on recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about George Soros. George Soros "Open Society Foundations" aims to promote civil society, the rule of law, human rights and liberal democracy around the world by funding civil society groups. The International Renaissance Foundation, a Ukrainian NGO founded by Soros, played an important role in supporting civil society during the Euromaidan protests. The foundation ensured that legal aid was made available throughout the crisis to civic activists, protesters, and journalists; supplied victims of violence with medical care; enabled civil society solidarity and organisation; supported channels like Hromadske TV in independent, live reporting about events on the Maidan; and documented cases of torture, beatings, and abuse by the courts. Read more about how the pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets target George Soros. Read a similar case: "Soros fully controls Ukraine".

Disinfo: The Lublin Triangle is a pro-American project aiming to insert a wedge between Russia and Europe

[…] the project is absolutely pro-American, which may insert a wedge between Russia and Europe. […] it is not worth talking about an economic union of three not very successful countries in such a context; it is only about the fulfilment of someone else’s will, under NATO’s control. [It is] a fist to strike at Russia, a classic Anglo-Saxon proxy war.

Jul 30, 2020
Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania of Russophobia and encircling Russia. The Lublin Triangle is a new regional initiative that will focus on developing and enhancing the economic, political, and cultural ties of Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania. It will also serve as an important mechanism for strengthening Central Europe and promoting Ukraine's European and Euroatlantic integration. In a Joint Declaration, the foreign ministers of the three countries emphasized that the countries are committed to upholding the international law, to broaden military-to-military cooperation, to further support the Eastern Partnership program, to provide support in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, to promote mutual trade and investments, and to secure better access to regional infrastructure. They also commit to strengthening people-to-people contacts and civil society cooperation, including between scientists and experts. The parties to the Lublin Triangle call on Russia to end its aggression against Ukraine and de-occupy Ukrainian territories. Commenting on the importance of the initiative, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that “the Lublin Triangle emphasises the important role that Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania play in Central Europe and the world. Our unity can not only strengthen our countries but also effectively counter common threats to guarantee the security and prosperity of our region."