DISINFO: The USA creates its lobby within the EU by deploying forces in the Baltic states
SUMMARY
One of the tasks [of the American policy] is to weaken Russia, isolate it from global geopolitical processes and gain some profits from the sale of American LNG to Europe (that is the reason for the fight against Nord Stream 2). Taking into consideration the fact that the European Union is an American competitor, the USA creates its own lobby within the EU by deploying its forces in the Baltic states. Above all, Poland is such an American Trojan horse in Eastern Europe. Finally, the intimidation with alleged Russian aggression creates an opportunity to sell American weapons to Poland. Recently, Poland purchased 250 Abrams tanks because “it felt threatened by Russia and Belarus”.
RESPONSE
A common pro-Kremlin narrative on “lost sovereignty”. Poland and the Baltic states are often presented as “puppet-states” and “Trojan horses” of the United States in Europe, which promote anti-EU and anti-Russian policies of Washington.
The claim that the USA deploys its troops in the Baltic states in order to “weaken the EU as its competitor” is ungrounded. The claim that the USA is trying to weaken Russia and isolate it from global politics is a widespread pro-Kremlin narrative.
The United States is the founding member of NATO and plays a crucial role in European and transatlantic security – since the end of WWII, the US troops based in Europe have helped guarantee the security of its European allies. NATO has enhanced its forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, with four multinational battalion-size battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, on a rotational basis. These battlegroups, currently led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the United States respectively and with nearly all allies participating in rotation, demonstrate that an attack on one Ally would be considered as an attack on the whole Alliance.
The ongoing modernisation of the Polish Armed Forces and purchases of advanced military equipment is a Polish response to the current security crisis taking place in Eastern Europe – this situation is a result of the Russian annexation of Crimea and military aggression against Ukraine in Donbas. The security situation of Poland has seriously worsened after the outbreak of the “migration crisis” orchestrated by Lukashenka’s regime. According to the position of the Polish authorities, the ongoing situation on the Belarusian border is a hybrid attack on Poland in order to destabilise the country and the entire EU.
See other examples of this message claiming that Polish policy towards Ukraine is shaped by the Americans, the US keeps Poland on a short anti-Russian leash, and Poland is a Trojan Horse of the United States.