Robin Emmott – Reuters March 18, 2020
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the EU claims lacked evidence and did not cite any specific documents to back up their claims. “We’re talking again about some unfounded allegations which in the current situation are probably the result of an anti-Russian obsession,” he said. Click to enlarge
Russian media have deployed a “significant disinformation campaign” against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust, according to a European Union document seen by Reuters.
The Kremlin denied the allegations on Wednesday, saying they were unfounded and lacked common sense.
The EU document said the Russian campaign, pushing fake news online in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, uses contradictory, confusing and malicious reports to make it harder for the EU to communicate its response to the pandemic.
“A significant disinformation campaign by Russian state media and pro-Kremlin outlets regarding COVID-19 is ongoing,” said the nine-page internal document, dated March 16, using the name of the disease that can be caused by the coronavirus.
“The overarching aim of Kremlin disinformation is to aggravate the public health crisis in Western countries…in line with the Kremlin’s broader strategy of attempting to subvert European societies,” the document produced by the EU’s foreign policy arm, the European External Action Service, said.
An EU database has recorded almost 80 cases of disinformation about coronavirus since Jan. 22, it said, noting Russian efforts to amplify Iranian accusations online, cited without evidence, that coronavirus was a U.S. biological weapon.
Most scientists believe the disease originated in bats in China before passing to humans.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed to what he said was the lack in the EU document of a specific example or link to a specific media outlet.
“We’re talking again about some unfounded allegations which in the current situation are probably the result of an anti-Russian obsession,” said Peskov.
The EU document cited examples from Lithuania to Ukraine, including false claims that a U.S. soldier deployed to Lithuania was infected and hospitalized. It said that on social media, Russian state-funded, Spanish-language RT Spanish was the 12th most popular news source on coronavirus between January and mid-March, based on the amount of news shared on social media.
The EEAS declined to comment directly on the report.
The European Commission said it was in contact with Google (GOOGL.O), Facebook (FB.O), Twitter (TWTR.N) and Microsoft (MSFT.O). An EU spokesman accused Moscow of “playing with people’s lives” and appealed to EU citizens to “be very careful” and only use news sources they trust.
“HUMAN CREATION”
The EU and NATO have previously accused Russia of covert action, including disinformation, to try to destabilize the West by exploiting divisions in society.
Russia denies any such tactics and President Vladimir Putin has accused foreign foes of targeting Russia by spreading fake news about coronavirus to whip up panic.
Russian media in Europe have not been successful in reaching the broader public, but provide a platform for anti-EU populists and polarize debate, analysis by EU and non-governmental groups has shown.
The EEAS report cited riots at the end of February in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic now seeking to join the EU and NATO, as an example of the consequences of such disinformation.
It said a fake letter purporting to be from the Ukrainian health ministry falsely stated here were five coronavirus cases in the country. Ukrainian authorities say the letter was created outside Ukraine, the EU report said.
“Pro-Kremlin disinformation messages advance a narrative that coronavirus is a human creation, weaponized by the West,” said the report, first cited by the Financial Times.
“Pro-Kremlin disinformation messages advance a narrative that coronavirus is a human creation, weaponized by the West,” said the report, first cited by the Financial Times.
This attack of coronavirus on peaceful societies the Free World is truly demonic and a hypothesis that Kremlin was behind the attack sounds very reasonable 🙂
More lies, 95% of the sheeple in Europe have no exposure to Russian media. More alarming, is the fact they don’t even follow the fake Western media.
“Russia started the war on crude oil”…?
What has crude oil ever done to Russia?
The federal and provincial governments and the mainstream media are entirely responsible for the fake pandemic and all of the panic. Russia has had nothing to do with it. The Russian government may have played a role in the general psyop by announcing the closing of their border China and then overacting by confining people and threatening them with 5-year prison terms for violations of various quarantine laws, but in my nation and from what I see in every other Western nation, it is the MSM and our governments entirely responsible for the panic and shutting everything down. Only the International Banking Cartel could be capable of inducing all governments in China, Russia and the West to participate in the psyop, and therefore and apart from all the other mixed motives and spinoffs taking place, in my view the most likely purpose is a global reset of finances for some kind of quick economic crash and some kind of common currency.
The government and MSM conduct is, if not completely reckless, then in the very least it is disproportionate and highly negligent, and they should be liable for all of the income, business, and economic losses that have resulted and are continuing. But they won’t be. All our governments had to do was to recommend measures to better safeguard the people who are really at risk of not recovering, at least 99% of whom are very frail people with significant cardiac and/or lung problems and mostly over 80 years of age. The government and the media effort ought to have been to protect that sector in our communities most endangered to serious permanent harm and death from the virus, which would require very moderate intervention, and not by spreading panic and shutting down everything in sight.
The EEAS is an EU funded disinformation outfit. You simply cannot believe anything coming out of the corporate media where Russia is concerned.
Here is what there is to say about blaming (again) “Russia for Coronavirus”.
The EU Commission isIMO a dangerous corporation and is lying thru its teeth.
Here is a report about How and What about the birth of Coronavirus.
“CORONAVIRUS WAS FUNDED AND PATENTED BY WELLCOME TRUST (UK, FAKE SOLD TO GLAXOSMITHKLINE), BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, DARPA, DEFRA (UK), WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EU) VIA THE PIRBRIGHT INSTUTUTE (UK)”.
All anti-Russia propaganda is rubbish. The EU is continuing what Satanist Pelosi and her comrades have started three years ago, the Russian Blame Game.
It is all fake but a warming up-game for the final solution, in Hitler-parlour: “Die Endloesung” to sellout America and the Rest of The West to Satanyahoo of Israhell.
The West is possessed by Satan and is satanic.
(Source: https://patriots4truth.org/2020/01/28/corona-virus-is-a-globalist-bioweapon/ )
After having read the Article, except a normal discussing what is awaiting the world, there is nothing left to say.
Oh, one very important point left to mention:
RUSSIA IS NOT THE ENEMY!
And some additiional information to the “Russian Blame Game”:
https://patriots4truth.org/2020/01/30/the-coronavirus-traced-to-the-british-crown/
Get it into your head for it may become important the coming weeks and months to know :
RUSSIA IS NOT THE ENEMY!
Patrick… Love your satirist comment above ??
Love mainly your ” Free World” ??
Laughed so much, that I hurt myself falling from my chair laughing ??
Partrick: you are completely daft, in fact, you are bonkers! Why would Russia destroy the EU & Chinese markets for its oil and gas??????? I shudder at the lack of basic reasoning.
@ Carl Jones
Russia is ruled by barbaric Mongolian-like khan living in Kremlin basements.
The khan hates Europe&America and passionately wants to destroy freedoms enjoyed by nations of the Free World.
This barbarian ruler is driven by hatred – very strong emotion, and for this reason obviously lost his mind. This attack must destroy the Free World! The fact that the operation is also detrimental for Russia does not matter.
Copyrights – Radio Svoboda