Disinfo: The West is creating a “fire belt” around Russia through protests in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan

Summary

Western structures are deliberately creating instability focus in the post-Soviet spaces, forming a “fire belt” around Russia. Everything points to the fact that Ukraine was not enough for the West and it took over Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, where massive protests are taking place.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory framing Russia as the ultimate target of international events, based on several recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Russia being encircled and about colour revolutions, framing popular protests in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan as Western-backed destabilisation attempts. There is no evidence backing any of the claims. See other examples in our database, such as claims that the escalation in the Caucasus is directed against Russia, because someone wants to divert Moscow’s attention from Belarus and Syria; that the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is a cover-up operation, as was the 1956 Hungarian Revolution; that Ukraine is sending weapons and nationalist fighters to this war theatre; that the US embassy in Armenia is a mini-Pentagon escalating tension in the region and the Middle East; or that the US is encircling Russia with biological labs for a future attack and is ready to carry out a false flag operation in Alaska to blame Russia.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 216
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12/10/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Russia
  • Keywords: West, Encircling Russia, Colour revolutions
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Disinfo: The US is on the verge of a civil war, and militias are only a reaction against government abuse

The US is on the verge of a civil war, as shown by the case of 13 members of a militia called Wolverine Watchmen, who are accused of conspiring to kidnap the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. Top democrats, including Whitmer and Joe Biden, tried to blame Trump for it, but the events in Michigan were not an expression of crazed white supremacy, but a matter of abuse of power by the government and the feeling of frustration among a population segment who thinks that there is little, if anything, that they can do about it.

Disproof

Recurrent disinformation narrative about the United States consistent with a narrative on the imminent collapse of the Western society.

Contrary to the claim, the Wolverine Watchmen is an extremist group who aspired to cause a civil war in the US through violent action that involved kidnapping or even killing top US officials, not a reaction against alleged governmental abuses.

Disinfo: Colour revolution in Kyrgyzstan confirms that democracy has exhausted itself

Another colour revolution in Kyrgyzstan confirms that democracy has exhausted itself. The current democratic model of the political structure has exhausted itself since the mechanisms for the re-election of the parliament and the head of state not only fail to ensure the continuity of power but become an instrument for destabilising the situation in the country and destroying statehood. There is no longer any popular control of the leadership, nor the will of the population, but it has become a weapon of aggression, an instrument of hybrid warfare.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory, recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about a "colour revolution" in Kyrgyzstan, mixed with a narrative about the collapse of democracy. The protests in Kyrgyzstan erupted to contest the results of the parliamentary elections that took place on 4 October, which are considered unfair by oppositional parties. As a result of the elections, none of the twelve established oppositional parties secured seats in the parliament. The parties declared they would not recognise the results of the voting. The president and the ruling parties were accused of vote-buying and voter intimidation. On 7 October, the electoral authorities annulled the election results. Democracy is a prevalent political regime in the most developed countries in the world. States with full democracy have the most transparent electoral processes, allow widespread political participation of the citizens, support civil liberties, and guarantee transparency of the government. States with democratic regimes guarantee fundamental individual rights, high level of political equality, ensure human development, improve health and education systems, and support a broad range of personal freedoms. See similar cases claiming that there is a deterioration of democracy in the West, that authoritarian regimes are best at handling disasters, or that China is more democratic than the US.

Disinfo: Euro-Atlantic powers want to use Navalny's case to foil Nord Stream 2

Behind the [Alexy] Navalny case are Euro-Atlantic interests aimed at promoting anti-Russian policy. It is clear that what the Euro-Atlantic powers are interested in is not clarifying the situation around Navalny, but rather foiling the “Nord Stream 2” gas pipeline between Russia and Europe.

Disproof

This is a pro-Kremlin conspiracy theory aimed at linking the case of Alexei Navalny with the Nord Stream 2 project. See a very similar case here (although in this case, the United States is accused alone). A prominent Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny fell ill during a flight and the plane had to make an emergency landing in Omsk. Doctors there said he was in a coma and they were trying to save his life. Since then he has been transferred to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charité Hospital. The German Federal government said that toxicological tests provided “unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group” in the blood samples of Alexei Navalny. The European Union condemned the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms. Read similar disinformation messages alleging that Americans are recouping their long-term investment in Navalny, the West has an interest in the death of Navalny to launch a new wave of sanctions against Russia, or that US used Navalny case to block Russian vaccine against COVID-19, or that political scandal in Austria was a CIA operation to stop the construction of Nord Stream 2.