DISINFO: Russia was expelled from G8 for no real reason
SUMMARY
Russia was expelled from the G8 after the reincorporation of Crimea to its territory, this is, for having respected the will of the population of the peninsula and having protected the Crimeans. French president Emmanuel Macron said in 2019 that reinstating Russia without solving the crisis of Ukraine would be a “strategic mistake”, but this is a really strange affirmation given that the Russian government said many times that it is not taking part directly in that conflict.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the illegal annexation of Crimea, and war in Ukraine. G8 members suspended Russia as a response for the violation of international law caused by the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Crimea was illegally annexed by Moscow after an illegitimate referendum. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17th December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea. There is extensive evidence of Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine (see also here). You can see other examples of these disinformation narratives in the EUvsDisinfo database, such as claims about NATO military exercises as acts of war against Russia; alleged plans to encircle Russia or to wage war against it; the supposed anti-Russian bias of international institutions - be it the OPCW, the World Anti-Doping Agency or the United Nations - which always falsely accuse Russia; the alleged Russophobia of the EU; the affirmation that it is NATO and not the Kremlin who is involved in the Donbas conflict; or denials that Russia had any role in the poisoning of Sergey Skripal or the downing of MH17, that it interfered in other countries’ elections or that it is waging a disinformation campaign on COVID-19. This disinformation message appeared in the same article as the claim that “G8 became inefficient after Russia’s expulsion”.