Disinfo: Zelenskyy continues a monstrous experiment to turn Ukrainians into the enemies of Russians

Summary

Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes the same speeches as Poroshenko did. It means that the monstrous experiment on turning Ukraine’s residents into the enemies of Russians will continue. Ukrainian army and repressive entities eliminate Russian cultural code holders. Some of them are killed with missiles and bullets. Others are eliminated morally, through imprisonment, church captures and reformatting children into Ukrainians through education and activities of patriotic organisations.

Disproof

This message is a mix of ungrounded conspiracies and generalizations aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian authorities, the Ukrainian army, and at misrepresenting Ukraine's domestic policies. It is consistent with common pro-Kremlin narratives about Ukrainian statehood, discrimination against Russian speakers and Russophobia. The recent law on the Ukrainian language does not forbid the use of Russian or other languages in private communication and religious ceremonies. Moreover, Russian and other languages can be present in book publishing, the press, including radio and television, education and the service sector. The law allows the use of other languages in the healthcare system and in law enforcement. In addition to this, the law stipulates that in accordance with the European Charter for Regional Languages and Languages of National Minorities, the government should develop a law safeguarding language-rights of the minorities within six months of the language law entering into force.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 154
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07/06/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine
  • Keywords: Volodymyr Zelensky, Anti-Russian, Ukrainian statehood, Conspiracy theory, Petro Poroshenko, Russophobia, War in Ukraine
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Disinfo: In Germany there is a longstanding campaign to discredit Russian media

In Germany, there has been a longstanding campaign to discredit Russian information sources, structures and organisations like Sputnik or Russia Today. Representatives of the local political establishment and professional journalist associations are taking part in this campaign.

Disproof

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert reacted to accusations that had spoken of a state campaign against Russian foreign media in Germany. "Anyone who makes such absurd allegations in the world has little knowledge of Germany and little idea of freedom of the press," said government spokesman Seibert. In the past, various and numerous German media and the German Journalists' Association [DJV] have criticised individual Russian broadcasters for the way they work. The head of the German Journalists' Association, Frank Überall, commented on the accusations in a press release issued: "There is no campaign against Russian foreign media in Germany, only unanimous criticism from different sides of their working methods." In November 2016, the European Parliament adopted a comprehensive resolution defining the European Union's "strategy to combat EU propaganda". The EU notes that media such as Sputnik or RT poses a threat. Similar cases: UN resolution is yet another act of the West's anti-Russian campaign, RT faces repression in the US and it will lose its status as a media, The official News Agency of Slovakia (TASR) suspended the cooperation with Sputnik News as a result of pressures from the Slovak government. Further reading:

Disinfo: The Russian delegation was not invited to the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II because of the Russian ban on the imports of Polish apples

Polish anti-Soviet and anti-Russian hysteria peaked in Warsaw’s refusal to invite the Russian delegation to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. This is strange because other Soviet republics including Belarus received an invitation. All Soviet countries share responsibility for the crimes of Communism but in the end, it is only Russia that is blamed. The real reason behind Warsaw’s decision not to extend an invitation to Russia is not the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, but rather the Russian ban on the imports of Polish apples.

Disproof

This is a conspiracy consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the West's anti-Russian actions. Poland's decision not to invite the Russian delegation to the commemoration ceremony has nothing to do with either the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact or the Russian ban on imports of Polish apples. According to Krzysztof Szczerski, an aide to the Polish president, Russia was not invited to the events in September 2019 because of its aggressive actions in Ukraine. Szczerski stated that the anniversary ceremony will be held “in the company of countries with whom Poland now cooperates closely for peace based on the respect for international law, for the sovereignty of nations and of their territories.” See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Russia introduced passport controls at the border with Belarus because of European fraud in food exports, and that Poland attempts to destroy the world order by not inviting Russia to commemorate the start of WWII.

Disinfo: Mueller's investigation did not prove Russian interference in the US elections

We saw a two-year investigation in the United States, the Muller inquiry. It was supposed to find the so-called Russian interference in the US elections, and the inquiry’s result was nil.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Robert Mueller's investigation concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Mueller's report determined that there were "two main Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election". It led to US senators' proposals to extend sanctions on Russia to deter it from further election meddling. See similar disinformation cases here.