Disinfo: The West criticises the Russian coronavirus vaccine because it can’t accept Russia’s primacy

Summary

The West fears that after Russia became the first country to offer a solution to the virus that is haunting the planet, Russian authority will project over the western in global public opinion. Of course, the richest and most powerful in the world can’t accept it. This explains the laughable and sceptic reception that the Russian vaccine Sputnik V got in the circles of the countries and pharmaceutical corporations that consider themselves the lords and keepers of global health.

Disproof

This is a mix of several recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about alleged anti-Russian bias in the West and plots against Russia’s greatness. Contrary to the claim, reservations and criticism of the Sputnik V vaccine is not caused by a Western refusal to accept Russia’s alleged primacy but by the fact that Russia hasn’t completed large trials to test the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, and rolling out an inadequately vetted vaccine could endanger people who receive it. The World Health Organisation expressed some reservations about the procedure followed by Russia, initiating talks with Russian authorities about undertaking a review of the vaccine but refusing to endorse it right away. On August 2020, the WHO published a landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines, which considered the Russian project developed by Gamaleya Research Institute as being in Phase 1 of clinical testing. See other examples of these narratives in our database, such as the supposed anti-Russian bias of international institutions - be it the OPCW, the World Anti-Doping Agency or the United Nations - which always falsely accuse Russia; the alleged Russophobia of the EU; the affirmation that it is NATO and not the Kremlin who is involved in the Donbas conflict; or denials that Russia had any role in the poisoning of Sergey Skripal or the downing of MH17, that it interfered in other countries’ elections or that it waged a disinformation campaign on COVID-19.

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mundo.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 208
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 13/08/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia
  • Keywords: vaccination, West, Anti-Russian
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Disinfo: Poland and Lithuania are the main destabilising sources for Belarus and Belarus-Russia relations

Poland and Lithuania are the main sources of subversive activities against Belarus and Belarus-Russia union. The Belarusian crisis was to a large extent created artificially, the links go to Warsaw and Vilnius. Currently, they are attempting to deepen the political crisis in Belarus and involve as many EU countries as possible.

Aug 12, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolution in Belarus alleging Western attempts to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations. Mass protests in Belarus erupted against the massive electoral fraud which took place at presidential elections on 9 August 2020. According to the EU, the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair. Poland and Lithuania, as well as the EU, have expressed support to people protesting in Belarus.

Read earlier disinformation cases alleging that the EU's aim behind the Eastern Partnership programme is to change the political regimes in Belarus and Russia, that Alyaksandr Lukashenka skipped the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels because the West could organise his killing and that Poland pursues aggressive imperial project Intermarium.

Disinfo: Ukraine and US are behind protests in Belarus

The US and its satellites stand behind the protests in Belarus. All this is played out directly by special forces. There are also various NGOs at work here: the Soros-Jugend and other puppet-masters. There is no doubt that all this is directed from Ukraine.

Aug 12, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin propaganda narratives about the Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus. There is no evidence that the West is preparing a so-called colour revolution in Belarus. On 3 June, Brussels, Washington and London issued a joint statement calling for free and fair elections in the country, emphasising “that no politically motivated restrictive measures should prevent potential candidates from fulfilling the registration procedure.” “Media freedom and the right of peaceful assembly are essential to legitimate elections,” the diplomatic missions said the same week that a visa facilitation agreement entered into force between Belarus and the EU. It should be noted that the recent presidential elections were considered neither free nor fair by the EU. In the past, the EU and US repeatedly introduced sanctions against Belarusian officials for mass violations of human rights and electoral standards, they have not attempted to stage a colour revolution in Belarus or any other country. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the Belarusian opposition, civic activists and independent journalists make kill lists for Western security bodies, that the pro-Western Belarusian opposition prepares 'kill lists' and genocide, the US global “Anaconda” strategy is to limit the living space of geopolitical opponents, and that the West's objective is to encircle Russia entirely thanks to the "Anaconda ring" and "Great Turan" doctrines.

Disinfo: Eastern European countries are under the influence of Western special services

The United States gave Slovakia “a tick” for the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the country. Everyone signed up under some kind of plan to put pressure on Russia, Slovakia took part in this process, and the State Department gave it an assessment. This is the general pressure of the United States on small countries. If the countries of Eastern Europe do not carry out this or that action, the United States will give them a bad mark, will suspect of pro-Russian sentiments. And this is the worst thing in Eastern Europe. Eastern European countries are under the influence of the Western special services that give them marks for Russophobic activities. Here is Slovakia fulfilling its standard of Russophobia, which the United States demands of them.

Aug 12, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe, “lost sovereignty” and Russophobia. Eastern European countries are often presented as “puppet-states” of the United States by the pro-Kremlin media. Slovakia is a sovereign state, which shapes its own foreign and domestic policies. The United States established diplomatic relations with Slovakia in 1993. Read more about Slovakia-US relations.

Slovakia expelled three staff from the Russian embassy in the capital, Bratislava, with local media reporting it is related to the murder of a Georgian man in Berlin last year.