Disinfo: US-sponsored Kazakhstan protests aimed to undermine CIS stability

Summary

The United States has launched the same hybrid warfare strategy in Kazakhstan it previously deployed in Ukraine in 2014, including mass protests and dissemination of fake narratives on social media.

Everything that is happening in Afghanistan is part of the US policy aimed at undermining the CIS region and and torpedoing the Eurasian project.

Disproof

The claim advances an emerging pro-Kremlin narrative alleging that the January 2022 anti-government protests in Kazakhstan are part of a US policy of staging “colour revolutions” worldwide with the aim of destabilising Russia and its allies (the CIS).

The claim is made without evidence of such groups with links to US structures and it matches the overall trends in the Kremlin's world view that the US play a sinister role to undermine Russia via manipulation of local groups. See here for our analysis of this narrative, with examples.

There is no evidence presented regarding US and the current developments in Afghanistan, where the Taliban movement is now in control.

The Kazakhstan protests began during the first weekend of January and were sparked by the government’s decision to uncap state prices on propane and butane, which effectively doubled the price of fuel overnight. The protests escalated into nationwide demonstrations over the next several days, but there is no evidence that these events are either coordinated or led by any specific group masterminded by the US. The Russian state media RT website has cited Kazakh President Tokayev as saying that the rallies are led by “terrorists” with foreign training, but duly noted that “he did not provide any evidence to back up this assertion.”

While the Kazakh authorities speak about "foreign" they have NOT attributed these demonstrators or groups to neither the US nor the West.

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News Front - German (Archived)
news-front.info (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 273
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 06/01/2022
  • Article language(s) German, Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Kazakhstan, US, Russia, Ukraine
  • Keywords: CIS, Hybrid war, Colour revolutions, Euromaidan, Destabilising Russia, Encircling Russia, Central Asia, Protest
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Disinfo: Events in Kazakhstan are another Western-made colour revolution

Another attempt of the "colour revolution" in Kazakhstan is due to the intervention of external forces rather than internal problems in the country. There is a well-organised network of the West, which at one time carried out similar colour revolutions in a number of post-Soviet countries. These were not only aimed at overthrowing authoritarian regimes and replacing them with Western-style democracies but were mostly anti-Russian in nature. Let us remind you that the events in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan were held under the anti-Russian flag.

The real goal is to reduce Russia's influence in the post-Soviet countries and to overthrow the path of integration into the Eurasian Economic Union chosen by some countries.

Jan 05, 2022
Disproof

This claim advances an emerging pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that the January 2022 anti-government protests in Kazakhstan are part of a US policy of staging “colour revolutions” worldwide with the aim of destabilising Russia.

The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors supported by foreign powers who constantly prepare new coups.

Disinfo: Protests in Kazakhstan are a new Western attempt to organise a colour revolution

Protests in Kazakhstan are a new attempt to organise a colour revolution in the post-Soviet space. All the current Kazakh elite studied in Western universities, mostly British. Therefore, there are many influence agents in Kazakhstan. They don’t have anything to do with Russia, and they promote European integration. Generally, Kazakhstan is being played by the West according to the Ukrainian scenario.

Signs of a coup can be clearly traced in the events in Kazakhstan. First, the call to take governmental buildings, military units and security forces. Second, the presence of organisers according to long-data manuals and footprints. Third, the presence of foreigners, plus the interests of the collective West.

Jan 05, 2022
Disproof

This case mixes a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative framing popular protests contrary to the Kremlin’s interests as "Western-backed colour revolutions" with an attempt to explain the new developments in Kazakhstan.

The case seeks to lay the blame on the West for the entire unrest in Kazakhstan which is fueled by high gas prices and social discontent in the Kazakh society.

Disinfo: Russia is better than Europe at vaccines and protecting civil rights during the pandemic

Brussels says there are no civil liberties in Russia, but Europe itself has restricted basic freedoms. The situation of civil liberties in Russia is much better than in COVID-seized Europe. People in Russia are vaccinating by free will, in support of the public interest. Europe is forcing people to do it. Russia is producing effective vaccines. By the way, it is not clear if Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are as effective as Sputnik V.

Jan 05, 2022
Disproof

This narrative includes disinformation about restriction measures in Europe due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes a message about the Russian vaccine Sputnik V.

Oxford COVID-19 government response stringency index shows that response to the pandemic in Russia is quite similar to Europe. There are also differences between European countries: in some EU countries stricter measures are implemented (Germany, France) and in some softer measures are in place (Portugal, Poland, Baltic states) compared to Russia.