Disinfo: West creates a fifth column, civil society directly interferes in the affairs of the state

Summary

As a result, civil society institutions operating at the expense of foreign grants and dependent on their sources of funding have mechanisms to directly interfere in the affairs of the state. This reality provides a unique opportunity for the intention of the West to create a “fifth column” which is a special method among the levers of pressure.

Disproof

There is no evidence that the West intends to create a “fifth column” in any country. “Fifth column”, as a term, was used for the very first time in 1936. This term was put forward by Republican media to describe General Franco's secret supporters. Nowadays, it is mostly used to describe the opposition in authoritarian states to accuse them of infidelity.

Firstly, civil society organisations are groups of people who fight for the same purpose. There are plenty of civil society organisations in all countries around the world. They work in fields related to ecology, human rights, woman rights, media and etc. to contribute to development in these areas not to interfere directly in the affairs of states.

Secondly, there is no proof that the West has an intention to create “fifth column” in any state. This is recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation that the West uses political parties, civil society organisations/NGOs to overthrow governments. See more disinformation regarding the “fifth column” such as Pro-Western Civil Society in Ukraine and Belarus is a fascist fifth column and NATO Prepares for big war with Russia, attack directions are similar to Hitler's Barbarossa Plan.

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az.trend.az (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 224
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30/11/2020
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Azerbaijan
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Disinfo: Germany depends on the US in the sphere of security

Germany is a dependent state in the sphere of security. This country is helpless without the US. This is a sign of dependence.

Nov 29, 2020
Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative about US hegemony in Europe. Pro-Kremlin outlets like to present other countries as American puppets. See similar narratives here, here and here.

Germany is an independent state and implements an independent policy. The narrative of the dependence of this country on the US is disinformation presented without any clear evidence. The statement that US military presence is “a sign of German dependence” is a speculative one. Germany and the US have close partner relations of two sovereign and independent countries. The US military presence in Germany is in the interest of both countries as well as in the interest of Europe security.

Disinfo: Too expensive for the Baltic States to synchronise their energy grids with Europe

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia together with Russia and Belarus are part of the BRELL energy ring. The Baltic States want to disconnect from this ring and synchronise their grids with the rest of Europe through Poland by 2025. Lithuania explains that want to leave BRELL to be “energetically independent from Russia” but experts say that the process of disconnecting from BRELL will be too expensive for the Baltic States, the price of electricity for users will grow.

Nov 29, 2020
Disproof

The case is part of the Kremlin's disinformation campaign about European energy policy.

The BRELL energy ring is a Moscow-controlled grid. It is a potential threat for the Baltic States because Russia continuously uses energy politics as a foreign policy instrument.

Disinfo: Sandu wants to arrange a second Karabakh in Transnistria

Sandu wants to arrange a second Karabakh in Transnistria (the title).

Sandu in an interview […] says without hesitation: withdraw the peacekeepers as soon as possible, and we will arrange our Karabakh for Tiraspol. That is, it intends to use the army against Transnistria.

Nov 29, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative spread before the recent Presidential elections claiming that if Maia Sandu won, relations with Transnistria will deteriorate and the conflict will break out again. The elected president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is credited with statements she did not make in an interview given on November 20 to the publication Европейская правда (Ukraine).

In the interview, she said nothing about Russian peacekeepers, the introduction of the army into Transnistria, or Nagorno-Karabakh. On the contrary, she spoke of a peaceful settlement of the conflict: ”I believe that one day there will be a geopolitical opportunity for the reunification of Moldova, and we must be ready for this. But in any case, it should be a peaceful solution”. Talking about the solution of the conflict, Maia Sandu said ”it should include the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Moldova”.