DISINFO: The EU preaches trivial Russophobia presented as European values
SUMMARY
For the collective West, a war by the hands of others and on others’ territory is a universal means to maintain dominance and make profits. When it comes to the events in Ukraine, the economy became the trigger of destabilisation and the war that followed. In an attempt to justify anti-Russia sanctions, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated in the interview to Deutsche Welle, “I prefer smelling as homeless to bringing grist to Putin’s mill in the shower.” Baerbock and Borrell hardly realise that the European values they preach are trivial Russophobia.
RESPONSE
The article obscures the actual reason behind economic sanctions placed on Russia and presents the Russian aggression against Ukraine as a West-triggered economic struggle. It also spreads a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobia, falsely equating it to European values. Furthermore, it attributes a false citation to German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock.
Russia started broadscale military intervention of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 under the pretext of the “de-Nazification and demilitarisation” of Ukraine. Russia had earlier issued assurances to both Ukraine and the whole world that it was not planning to invade Ukraine. The EU condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and imposed restrictive measures on Russia. EU sanctions are directed against the Russian government, the financial sector and the economic elites, targeting the Kremlin's ability to finance the military aggression.
See other examples of similar disinformation messages in our database, such as claims that according to Josep Borrell sanctions are no longer effective, that Nazism is one of the highest European values, and that the West uses Ukrainians as expendable material in a geopolitical game to contain Russia
Technical remark: This disinformation was broadcast via Sputnik on 17 August 2022. Due to the EU decision to restrict the spread and dissemination of RT and Sputnik inside the EU, access to the link may not work inside the EU.