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Disinfo: Washington authorises vassals Poland and Lithuania to organise a colour revolution in Belarus

Summary

Despite having a strong desire to become the “main player”, Poland stopped implementing its independent foreign policy a long time ago, turning into an American tool. Washington, preoccupied with its internal problems, simply handed over the authority to organise a colour revolution in Belarus to its Eastern European vassals – Poland and Lithuania.  

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe. The Kremlin-controlled media regularly accuses Poland and Lithuania of Russophobia and the implementation of anti-Russian policies. Poland and Lithuania are independent states, which shape their own foreign and domestic policies without any “dictate” from the USA. The claim that Poland and Lithuania are trying to “organize a colour revolution in Belarus” is a conspiracy theory. Lithuania and Poland are neighbours of Belarus and continue to support the Belarusian people. See other examples of this message claiming that Polish policy towards Ukraine is shaped by the Americans, the US keeps Poland on a short anti-Russian leash, and Poland is a Trojan Horse of the United States.

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publication/media

pl.rubaltic.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 212
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/09/2020
  • Language/target audience: Polish
  • Country: Lithuania, Belarus, US, Poland
  • Keywords: Protest, Imperialism/colonialism, Alexander Lukashenko, US presence in Europe, Puppets, Sovereignty, Colour revolutions, Conspiracy theory

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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September 17, 1939, did not change the course of the war for Poland in a significant way

Regardless of how disappointed we felt, September 17, 1939 [beginning of the Soviet attack at Poland], was not a date that changed the course of the war in some significant way for Poland. The Polish army defended itself in a heroic way, but it had outdated military equipment, a terrible command model and the Polish allies were situated too far away.

September 20, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and an attempt to erode the disastrous historical consequences of the Soviet attack on Poland in September 1939. The claim that the Soviet attack on Poland did not have any significant effects on the course of the war for Poland is a cynical attempt to downplay the historical importance of the Soviet participation in the partition of Poland realised together with Nazi Germany. On August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and the USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with a Secret Supplementary Protocol, which divided Poland and other Eastern European countries between these two totalitarian powers. On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany attacked Poland while the Soviet Union's attack at Poland started on September 17 – in this way, Nazi Germany and the USSR started the implementation of the Secret Supplementary Protocol to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Read similar examples of the Russian historical revisionism concerning this issue - Signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact thwarted the UK’s expansionist plans in Europe, The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact did not violate the rights of the Polish state, The shift of all blame for WWII outbreak at the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact the best example of manipulation of history.

Western involvement is clearly seen on the colour revolution of Belarus

The Western involvement can be clearly traced in the events in Belarus … The protest activities, since their inception, have an organised character and are coordinated from abroad. The United States plays a pivotal role in the current events in Belarus. It is possible to speak here of a poorly camouflaged attempt to organise another colour revolution and an unconstitutional coup whose aims have nothing to do with the interests of the citizens of Belarus.

September 20, 2020
Disproof

This is part of an ongoing Russian disinformation campaign on Belarus based on recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, such as accusing other countries of interference and portraying popular protests against electoral fraud in the country as a Western-led colour revolution. There is no evidence that the US or other Western nations are trying to destabilise the situation or create a coup in Belarus. The protests in Belarus erupted to contest the results of the presidential elections in Belarus that took place on the 9 August, which are considered fraudulent by a large part of Belarusian society. The European Union has also stated that the elections were neither free nor fair. There is no evidence that the protests in Belarus are funded and organised externally. Pro-Kremlin media frequently use disinformation narratives about popular protests around the world allegedly incited and funded by the US and other Western states. It has been applied, among others, to protests in Ukraine, Venezuela, Georgia, and Belarus, as well as to present a deceiving narrative on the aggressive West constantly preparing new coups. Read similar disinformation cases: The Baltic States and Poland are blowing Belarus up from the inside, Ukrainian militants are staying in Belarus to carry out a coup d'etat, in Belarus, there are signs of a colour revolution, but hybrid one.

Navalny wasn’t poisoned with Novichok, he came out of coma

A scientist who was involved in Novichok’s development, said Navalny’s recoverage proves that this substance was not used to poison him.

September 20, 2020
Disproof

The story is part of an emerging web of counter-narratives designed to confuse Western public opinion and deny Moscow's involvement in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. This argument follows a recurring Kremlin pattern of denying that Navalny was poisoned and that Moscow had anything to do with it. In this case, the argument is that Novichok is only a lethal military-grade nerve agent and that the result is always death. However, we know that Novichok is a highly toxic nerve agent that slows the heart, paralyses the muscles used for breathing and — if the dose is big enough — can lead to death by asphyxiation. A smaller dose may result in seizures, neuromuscular weakness, liver failure and other damage. This has been presented in various other reports here, here and here. So, Novichok does not necessarily lead to the death of everyone who came in contact with it. Furthermore, Navalny's coma was medically induced and did not constitute a symptom of poisoning. Several other confirmed Novichok victims were put in a coma and subsequently regained consciousness. In 1987 Andrey Zheleznyakov, a researcher attached to the Soviet chemical warfare programme, suffered an accidental exposure to a Novichok-type compound. The accident left him permanently disabled but alive for another six years. In March 2018, Russian ex-spy Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yuliya fell victim to poisoning in Salisbury but recovered with intensive medical care as did a police officer who had been exposed when he visited their home to investigate. The UK authorities established that the assassination attempt had been carried out by two Russian intelligence operatives using Novichok. The following June, two individuals in Amesbury, England were accidentally exposed to Novichok contained in a fake perfume bottle. One of the victims survived. It should be further noted that, like most other chemical weapons, Novichok was not developed with the individual assassination in mind. Marc-Michael Blum, former head of the OPCW Laboratory, explains that "these substances are designed for the mass destruction of enemy personnel during war," and are thus "not reliable enough" if used to kill one, specific individual in peacetime conditions. In other words, it cannot be ruled out that Navalny was poisoned by Novichok simply because he survived the ordeal and regained consciousness. This article also claimed that Berlin considers Navalny's data a state secret. Read similar disinformation messages alleging that the West has an interest in the death of Navalny to launch a new wave of sanctions against Russia, that only traces of alcohol and caffeine were found in Navalny's blood, that the West will falsely accuse Russia of poisoning Navalny, as with Skripal and Litvinenko or that US used Navalny case to block Russian vaccine against COVID-19.