DISINFO: 2008 August War is an example of how NATO poses threat to peace with its military excercises
SUMMARY
Regular practices of conducting large-scale military exercises, such as Noble Partner 2020, in alliance with the Western states may pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the South Caucasus, the example of which was Georgia’s military aggression in August 2008.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on stability, NATO and the conflict between Russia and Georgia. The disinformation message aims to present the conflict in 2008 as "Georgian aggression" and deny Russia's role in it. In fact, according to the EU, Russian military presence in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia continues in violation of international law and commitments undertaken by Russia under the 12 August 2008 agreement. Noble Partner is multiannual military exercise cooperatively led between the Georgian Armed Forces and U.S. Army Europe. The exercise is designed to enhance regional partnerships and increase U.S. force readiness and interoperability in a realistic, multinational training environment. Noble Partner allows participants to conduct situational training exercises, live-fire exercises, and combined mechanised manoeuvres. NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect the member states. NATO exercises are not directed against Russia – or any other country. See related disinformation claims alleging that South Ossetia was subjected to armed Georgian aggression; that Georgia is the example of the Western geopolitical engineering; that Russo-Georgian war and Maidan were Western-backed russophobic provocations.