Disinfo: There is a Western pressure campaign against Russian media

Summary

Western countries are carrying out a pressure campaign against Russian media. US Congressmen and French president Emmanuel Macron accused RT and Sputnik, without evidence, of interfering in the elections of their countries.

Disproof

There is plenty of evidence of Russia’s interference in both the elections in the US in 2016 and France in 2017 through, amongst other means, RT and Sputnik. This is part of a recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative to portray Russia as an innocent power falsely accused of interfering on other countries’ affairs, and Western defensive actions as anti-Russian in nature. You can see other examples of disinformation on this topic in our database, such as the alleged persecution of Sputnik in totalitarian Estonia due to its truthful reporting and fear of its influence; the allegedly brave efforts of Sputnik against intolerance in Lithuania; the supposed violations of the rights of Russian journalists in the US and the EU; the claims that French media are not free, or the stories on how nice is to be a journalist in Russia, unlike in Europe, because Russia is the global champion of free speech. RT and Sputnik's purpose is not to inform the public but to produce narratives serving the Kremlin’s purposes, regularly resorting to disinformation. In a resolution on November 23rd 2016, the European Parliament identified both RT and Sputnik as tools and instruments of the Kremlin’s anti-EU campaign.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 184
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 06/02/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: France, US, Russia
  • Keywords: Russia Today (RT), Emmanuel Macron, Mainstream media, Anti-Russian, Freedom of speech, Media, Sputnik, RT
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Disinfo: All information stuffing in Poland is aimed at creating anti-Russian sentiments

The topic of the “Russian threat” is artificially constructed by the Polish authorities for internal and external use. Poland launched an active information attack on Russia. In recent months it has intensified. All information dumps in Poland are aimed at creating anti-Russian sentiments. They are Russophobic in nature. Statements about the “Russian threat” periodically come from Western politicians, but most often from the Baltic countries and Poland.

Disproof

An attempt to depict EU member states as anti-Russian and Russophobic, as well as recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the “Russian threat” is made up and used for different internal and external reasons, for example, to encircle and weaken Russia. More generally, this disinformation message is also in line with the current disinformation attack on Poland.

“Russophobia” is a manipulative defensive line, often used by Russian propaganda to reduce any criticism of the Russian state to an irrational intolerance towards the Russian people. Outlets such as RT, Sputnik and Russian national state television use the term to explain away almost any foreign criticism of Kremlin policies.

Disinfo: Poland seeks to be the main US outpost in its aggressive policy towards Russia

Poland has difficult relations with the EU countries. For Poland, it is important to have approval primarily from the United States. It is no coincidence that military cooperation between Poland and the United States intensified. Poland seeks to take the position that West Germany took in Europe during the Cold War: the position of the main US outpost in its aggressive policy towards Russia.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on “lost sovereignty”, Russophobia, as well as a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative that the United States fully controls the foreign policy of Poland.

Poland is often presented by pro-Kremlin outlets as a “puppet-state” of the United States. This narrative includes a message that the United States manipulates Poland and other European allies in order to carry out its anti-Russian policies. The statement that Poland is used by the United States to inspire a conflict with Russia is a conspiracy theory. Poland is a sovereign state, which shapes its own foreign and domestic policies.

Disinfo: Pompeo: Crimea is lost

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said (in Kiev) that Ukraine has lost Crimea and that the world’s major countries understand this. According to Pompeo, Kiev gave Crimea to Russia, from which nothing can be taken.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea.

Pompeo's words were misquoted by the Ukrainian portal "New Time" - "Novoye Vremya", which referred to Emine Dzhaparova, former First Deputy Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine. In the following hours, Emine Dzhaparova, who participated in the meeting as a Crimean Activist, denied any talks about the "lost Crimea" and the reports disseminated in media as unacceptable "media manipulation".