Disinfo: Intelligence Committee's report found no evidence of Russian intervention in the US elections

Summary

The US Senate Intelligence Committee’s final report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential elections offers no evidence, but many reheated allegations and allusions by so-called experts who have themselves now been exposed as the actual election influencers. Not surprisingly, the “results” of the report are cited as conclusive evidence that the Democrats were right and President Donald Trump wrong about 2016, Russia, Ukraine and the US presidential elections. The problem is that the committee provides no concrete evidence for its statements – just allegations. Since Hillary Clinton blamed “Russian hackers” in July 2016 for the revelations about corruption within the DNC, the Washington establishment has been eager to blame Moscow for all the evils of the US political system, real or imagined. The Senate Intelligence Committee’s report seems to be nothing more than an attempt to warm up the long-cooled corpse of a conspiracy that the Mueller report should have buried and left to rest in peace.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Robert Mueller's investigation did conclude that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Mueller's report determined that there were "two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election". It led to US senators' proposals to extend sanctions on Russia to deter it from further election meddling. The claim that the report provides no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion is spurious. Gathering evidence of "collusion" - which is not a legal concept - fell outside the scope of the investigation. The aim of the probe was not merely to ascertain contacts between the Trump Campaign and Russia-linked individuals during the election period, but to establish whether these interactions were deliberate enough on the part of Trump Campaign officials to sustain charges of conspiracy (p. 2). The report explicitly identifies "numerous links between individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign" (p. 9). Find more disinformation cases on this issue here.

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RT Germany (old) (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 168
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11/10/2019
  • Outlet language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: US, Russia
  • Keywords: election meddling, Robert Mueller
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Disinfo: Ukraine derailed the plan to renew disengagement of forces in Donbas

Ukraine, under the far-fetched pretext of violation of the ceasefire, did not start the practical part of the disengagement [in Petrivske and Zolote]. Ukrainian armed formations derailed the plan on the renewal of disengagement of forces in the Petrovskoye area endorsed by the Contact Group.

Oct 10, 2019
Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative blaming Ukraine for the disruption of the agreed disengagement of the troops and hardware in Donbas. It also repeats common disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine. On October 7, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko mentioned that the disengagement has been thwarted by ongoing attacks on the areas where the disengagement should have taken place. "To our deep regret, you know that Petrivske and Zolote came under attack several days ago. As you remember, we agreed to begin the disengagement on the seventh day of truce in this area," Prystaiko said at a press-conference. Ukraine’s Defence Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk mentioned Ukraine’s readiness to withdraw troops from the agreed areas after the shelling stops. OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine confirmed the ceasefire violations in the Zolote disengagement area on October 5-6 and in Petrivske on October 9. In accordance with the Trilateral Contact Group Framework Decision the disengagement of forces and hardware begins only after a seven-day ceasefire is achieved and verified by the SMM.

Disinfo: EU integration means property restitution from a large part of Ukrainian territory in favour of EU countries

Poland and possibly Hungary are preparing documents on property located in Western Ukraine. Restitution is the key rule of EU integration. This is what Latvia went through and it had to return almost a half of Riga’s historical centre to previous owners. Restitution of property on the territories of Bessarabia, Zakarpattia, Bukovina, Galicia, Volyn, and part of Podillia regions are open questions. One may wonder if the rights of the Russian empire over Kyiv can be treated as restitution too.

Oct 10, 2019
Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about massive restitution claims that Ukrainians will face in case Ukraine joins the EU. In reality, property restitution is not a condition for EU membership and is not on the agenda of EU-Ukrainian relations. "Restitution is one of the most mythologised issues in Ukrainian politics. Politicians and experts contribute hugely to the belief that European integration will inevitably lead to a review of property rights and many ordinary citizens will lose their homes or have to pay compensation to foreigners, primarily to Poles," Europe Insight analysis reads. It includes an expert opinion that the property restitution issue is "above the EU's competence" and could not be inserted into the EU-Ukraine Association agreement even theoretically. Read an earlier disinformation case alleging that Poland wants restitution of II Rzeczpospolita from Belarus [Second Polish Republic] property and a total clean-up of the political sphere.

Disinfo: Ukraine is turning into neo-feudal state, ruled from the outside

Ukraine is increasingly legitimizing neo-feudalism. The land market will create regional landowners, who will become nobles with serfs and titles. Central overlords will be located outside Ukraine. Therefore Ukraine will return in the situation similar to periods in Polish history when the nobles had rather wide competences and the king did not have real power.

Oct 10, 2019
Disproof

This is a recurrent narrative aimed to discredit Ukrainian statehood and to draw imminently negative consequences of Ukraine's integration with the EU.

See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Zelenskyy has neither army nor police, he is surrounded by corrupted predators, post-Soviet countries are feudal principalities governed by the West, and that the idea of Ukraine is based on a mythologised lie.