DISINFO: Washington using Georgia to open a second front against Russia
SUMMARY
In March 2023, a draft Foreign Influence Transparency law was sent to the Georgian Parliament, which requires NGOs to register as “agents of foreign influence” if their foreign funding is more than 20% of their total income.
This sparked protests from supporters of the Georgian opposition parties funded by the US and Europe.
Washington is not only trying to push Georgia to a specific path, but it is also seeking to open a second front in the American war against Russia.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about foreign-led protests and Russia as the ultimate target of international events. The claim was not supported with evidence.
Framing all popular protests against Russia’s interests as foreign-led is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative.
The claim that recent protests in Georgia were a Western-orchestrated attempt to forcibly change power is not supported by evidence. Georgia’s protests were driven by a strong rejection among Georgian citizens of the controversial ‘foreign agents law’, which critics say mirrors a 2012 law in Russia used to crack down on dissent and suppress western-funded NGOs and media, and which could be used to restrict freedom of expression and association.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the West arranges puppet governments through colour revolutions, or that colour revolutions provoked by the US and NATO created migration crisis.
This disinformation claim was broadcast on the date mentioned above. Due to the EU decisions to temporarily restrict the spread and dissemination of RT, Sputnik and other instruments used to manipulate information and promote disinformation about the invasion of Ukraine inside the EU, access to the link may not work inside the EU.