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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.

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publication/media

News Front - Spanish (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 216
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12/10/2020
  • Language/target audience: Spanish, Castilian
  • Country: Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Belarus
  • Keywords: West, Encircling Russia, Colour revolutions

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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Without pressure and influence from outside, the protests would never have happened in Belarus

Without pressure and influence from outside, the protests would never have happened in Belarus. The internal situation was difficult and brought about by external forces. Without pressure and influence from outside, this would have never happened in Belarus. Belarusians have survived many things. But in the past the pressure was minimal. And this time Western countries fell on Belarus head over heels. But the Belarusians are smart enough to get this thing under control. Belarus’ Western partners have been “too active” and have gone too far with this country.

October 18, 2020
Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative framing popular protests as Western-backed colour revolutions, part of a campaign to portray massive mobilisations in Belarus as a destabilisation effort orchestrated from abroad. There is no evidence that Western governments are involved in the protests in Belarus. Contrary to the claim, protests in Belarus erupted to contest the results of the presidential election in Belarus on the 9th of August, which were not monitored by independent experts, and are largely considered fraudulent by both international observers and a big part of the Belarusian society. On 19 August 2020, the European Council called Belarus's elections neither free nor fair. Mobilisations were organised and carried out by local actors, opposition politicians and Belarusian citizens, without any foreign involvement. In October 2020, the EU-Council imposed sanctions against 40 individuals identified as responsible for repression and intimidation against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members and journalists in the wake of the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, as well as for misconduct of the electoral process. See the full text and the Council conclusions (page 10). See other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives in Belarus, such as claims that the West attacks Lukashenko in order to worsen the situation in Belarus and that the US and its European allies organised a “colour revolution” in Belarus.

An oligarch-sponsored insurrection against the American people will take place around presidential elections

A number of rich businessmen “philanthropists”, such as George Soros, are involved in promoting “colour revolutions” and destabilising states around the world. People in the West now fear that oligarch-sponsored revolts – or “plutocratic insurrections” as a US military analyst calls them – will take place in the West itself. Oligarchs can promote destabilising conflicts at various levels against Western states and peoples. It is very probable that an oligarch-sponsored insurrection against the American state and people will take place just before and during the US presidential elections in November.

October 18, 2020
Disproof

Conspiracy theory. The article provides no evidence to support its claims. The article supports the recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation message claiming that a “colour revolution” in the US is underway, or will be implemented, to oust President Donald Trump. According to this narrative, the “colour revolution” in the US is organised by shadowy actors such as the “deep state”, the CIA, and/or “globalist élites”, such as George Soros, which are allegedly orchestrating and financing violent protests in US cities. This message is consistent with the broad pro-Kremlin narrative that portrays any spontaneous disorders and civil uprisings in many countries (including the anti-racist protests in the US) as "colour revolutions" orchestrated by shadowy élites or Western intelligence services. Read previous cases claiming that the US riots are a Maidan-style plot to oust Trump and that the US is suffering from a colour revolution it used to support abroad.

Extremely unconvincing evidence of the Navalny poisoning from Germany; it is a provocation

Germany provided extremely unconvincing evidence of the Alexei Navalny poisoning – it seems to be a provocation. The “evidence” that Germany has published in the media about the Navalny case is extremely unconvincing. And there was and is no evidence. It is supposedly declared secret. At the same time, the countries of the West decidedly refrain from cooperating with Russia. I would like to point out once again to our German colleagues that the evidence (on the Navalny case) which they published in the media and did not show us, was extremely unconvincing. We cannot initiate criminal proceedings in Russia without evidence. Maybe it is the common practice in Germany, but not common in Russia. In order to have a conversation about this case, we need the cooperation of our German and European friends. Otherwise nothing will happen and everyone will clearly understand that it is only provocation. At least that is how it seems at the moment.”

October 18, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Alexei Navalny's poisoning. Germany has responded to past Russian calls for Navalny's medical samples by saying that Russia should already have all it needs after its initial treatment of the dissident. 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. In addition, on 14 September, the German government provided research by two more independent laboratories in France and Sweden, which confirmed the presence of poison from the Novichok group in the body of politician Alexei Navalny. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Germany informed the Russian ambassador to Germany, the EU and NATO, on the results of the investigation. Germany also informed Russia via diplomatic channels on the progress of the investigation. Arne Collatz, a spokesman for Germany’s Defence Ministry said the data had been provided to the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

“This international organisation, of which Russia is also a member, has a treaty-based mandate to oversee and enforce the ban on the use, production, storage as well as research into chemical weapons.”

The OPCW report, published 8 October, also supports the German conclusions. The OPCW report can be found here. The European Union condemned the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms. Read similar disinformation messages alleging that the West has an interest in the death of Navalny, that Germany provided no evidence for the hypothesis that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok and that there is no signs that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok.