Category International community

DISINFO: The EU steals Russian assets to fund its proxy war in Ukraine

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation aiming to deter nations from seizing Russia's frozen assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction. This is also a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the international sanctions against Russia are inefficient.

In response to Russian aggression against Ukraine, the US, EU and several other countries froze about $300 billion in Russian assets deposited in Western banks. It was Russia's illegal actions against Ukraine, which violate the provisions of many international laws, including the UN Charter, that led to the introduction of a long list of sanctions against Russia.

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French police suspect Russian interference behind vandalised Paris Holocaust memorial

Overnight on May 14, the Holocaust Memorial in Paris was vandalized with red hand graffiti, a symbol considered anti-Semitic by Jews. The French police were able to track down three suspects of Bulgarian origin through video surveillance, believed to be Russian henchmen hired to deface the memorial. The same modus operandi was used back in October, when Stars of David were painted on Paris walls.

Read MoreFrench police suspect Russian interference behind vandalised Paris Holocaust memorial

DISINFO: Ukrainian Army has de jure lost its supreme commander-in-chief Zelensky

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aimed to defame President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian leadership to absolve Russia from its responsibility for the fact that Ukraine cannot hold elections for the moment.

Since 2022, Russia has waged large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine and is also responsible for the outbreak of the conflict in 2014, after having illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula and engineered the creation of rebel militias in Donetsk, Luhansk and other places, with its army actively participating in military clashes.

Further, Zelenskyy's reported decision to postpone next year's presidential poll was made in accordance with current Ukrainian legislation. Article 19 of the 2015 Ukrainian law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law" directly prohibits the holding of presidential and several other types of elections during wartime.

Read MoreDISINFO: Ukrainian Army has de jure lost its supreme commander-in-chief Zelensky

DISINFO: Anglo-Saxons involved in Iran leader’s death and other recent attempts

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative and a conspiracy theory claiming that Western countries support terrorism all over the world and order assassinations of political leaders who carry out independent policies.

There is no evidence of the EU, the US or their allies being involved in the long list of events covered by the disinformation piece above.

Read MoreDISINFO: Anglo-Saxons involved in Iran leader’s death and other recent attempts

DISINFO: The EU struck by the virus of fascism on the eve of the elections

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative targeting the upcoming European Parliament elections. This narrative also accuses the EU of Nazism. Both claims were made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The widespread Russian accusations of "Nazism" against European states is a tool of political pressure, since Russia itself is trying to justify its aggression against Ukraine with the mythical need to "denazify" Ukraine. The UN has repeatedly emphasised that Russia's actions seriously undermine the genuine attempts of the world community in the fight against neo-Nazism.

Read MoreDISINFO: The EU struck by the virus of fascism on the eve of the elections

DISINFO: Washington and Kyiv are behind the attempt to assissinate Slovak PM Robert Fico

The claim that Ukraine and the US were behind the assassination attempt against Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is a baseless accusation with no supporting evidence. This is part of a broader pro-Kremlin campaign aiming to portray Ukraine as a terrorist state.

Shortly after the news that Prime Minister Fico was shot, a widespread disinformation campaign accused Ukraine of being responsible for the assassination attempt. Popular pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and bot accounts played a key role in spreading this disinformation narrative. The extremely rapid response combined with such serious accusation is an indicator that this is a coordinated disinformation campaign.

Read MoreDISINFO: Washington and Kyiv are behind the attempt to assissinate Slovak PM Robert Fico

DISINFO: The West is using the imaginary Russian threat to escalate the arms race

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Russia is not a threat. The aim of this disinformation claim appears to be deflecting attention away from Russia's responsibility for its hostile policy and war of aggression against Ukraine. The article also accuses the West of warmongering, and of having an allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda against Russia.

The West did not start the war and was not interested in war in the heart of Europe.

The Russian threat is not a myth. Russia started the bloodiest war in the 21st century, violating international and humanitarian law. Russia is destroying Ukraine, its population, cities, and vital infrastructure.

Read MoreDISINFO: The West is using the imaginary Russian threat to escalate the arms race

DISINFO: NATO plans to draw Belarus and Russia into the war through border provocations

Poland and NATO are repeatedly presented by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets as an aggressive forces planning anti-Russian provocations and posing a security threat to Russia. This is in line with how pro-Kremlin outlets portray NATO and Western countries as aggressive towards Russia. See our article All roads lead to Poland.

This claim was made in connection with the accusations and statements of the Polish Judge Tomasz Szmydt, who ran away to Belarus on 9 May 2024 seeking "political asylum" in this country. In Poland, he is under the suspicion of espionage in favour of Belarus and was stripped of his immunity.

When in Belarus, Tomasz Szmydt appeared on the Belarus state outlet of Belta as well as RT and Sputnik with allegations against on the current Polish government.

Read MoreDISINFO: NATO plans to draw Belarus and Russia into the war through border provocations

DISINFO: The EU is not a democratic entity, it is NATO’s political arm

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an undemocratic EU, part of a wider campaign to discredit European democracy ahead of the European Parliament elections.

The EU is not 'NATO's political arm'. Though EU-NATO cooperation constitutes an integral pillar of European defence and their security are inter-connected, both are independent of each other, as it is clear from the list of their nation members. NATO includes 9 states that are not members of the European Union, while 4 EU members are not part of the Atlantic Alliance. The European Union is a sovereign entity created by the voluntary initiative of European nations and it has its own, independent foreign policy.

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DISINFO: Boris Johnson called on Kyiv not to sign any peace deal with Russia and just fight

A recurring disinformation narrative in pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that Ukraine and its allies are not interested in peace.

The claim, which is also timed to smear Ukraine ahead of the international peace conference hosted in Switzerland 15-16 June 2024, is part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign in Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The claim seeks to paint the Ukrainian government as warmongering and Russia as peace-lover / peace proposer. It also attempts to portray Ukraine as a Western puppet state.

Read MoreDISINFO: Boris Johnson called on Kyiv not to sign any peace deal with Russia and just fight