DISINFO: The President of Lithuania lied when stating that Russia attacked Georgia in 2008, annexed Crimea in 2014 and participates in the war in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Dalia Grybauskaite, President of Lithuania addressing the UN General Assembly, lies when saying that “Despite a special responsibility that was imposed on the Russian Federation as a permanent member of the Security Council – the protection of international law – Russia violates the UN Charter. It attacked Georgia’. She lies because it was recognized by the EU commission that it was Georgia, who attacked, and that we just exceeded the necessary defence limits. She lies that Russia illegally annexed the Crimea, because there was a referendum in Crimea, and she lies when saying that Russia is participating directly in the war in Easter Ukraine.
RESPONSE
The EU's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia (IIFFMCG) did not conclude that Georgia attacked in 2008. It stated that "The shelling of Tskhinvali by the Georgian armed forces during the night of 7 to 8 August 2008 marked the beginning of the large-scale armed conflict in Georgia, yet it was only the culminating point of a long period of increasing tensions, provocations and incidents." and "The Mission is not in a position to consider as sufficiently substantiated the Georgian claim concerning a large-scale Russian military incursion into South Ossetia before 8 August 2008. However, there are a number of reports and publications, including of Russian origin, indicating the provision by the Russian side of training and military equipment to South Ossetian and Abkhaz forces prior to the August 2008 conflict. Additionally there seems to have been an influx of volunteers or mercenaries from the territory of the Russian Federation to South Ossetia through the Roki tunnel and over the Caucasus range in early August, as well as the presence of some Russian forces in South Ossetia, other than the Russian JPKF battalion, prior to 14.30 hours on 8 August 2008. Also it seems that the Russian air force started its operations against Georgian targets, including those outside South Ossetian administrative boundaries, already in the morning of 8 August, i.e. prior to the time given in the Russian official information." web.archive.org/web/20091007030130/http://www.ceiig.ch/pdf/IIFFMCG_Volume_I.pdf, In 2014, the Russian troops forced the parliament of Crimea to organize an illegal referendum and then conducted the annexation of it that has been condemned by the UNGA (see the resolution A/RES/68/262 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine) bit.ly/1RZGnjo, . There are also numerous facts witnessing the aggression of Moscow including Russian soldiers captured by the army of Ukraine on the territory of this country or the deployment of heavy weapons and mercenaries from Russia to Donbas, Eastern Ukraine. Further details, for example, are in the following reports: bit.ly/1i9fChX, , bit.ly/1JUXaQB, , bit.ly/1RbWQU5, , bit.ly/1L6f6J6, , bit.ly/1GpWmnW,