DISINFO: Sanctions are whitewashed under beautiful terms but they are merely illegal actions
SUMMARY
Sanctions are whitewashed as ‘tools, necessary coercive measures’, wrapped in gift paper and sold under beautiful terms such as “defence of human rights”, “fight against authoritarianism”, “correcting the lack of democracy”, when they are merely illegal actions.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about sanctions, framing them as unjustified measures against Russia.
The claim is false. EU sanctions on Russian individuals and entities are neither illegal nor whitewashed under positive terms, but licit restrictions imposed in accordance with international law as a response to Russia’s actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, and to Russia’s use of chemical weapons in an assassination attempt against opposition leader Alexei Navalny, his unlawful imprisonment, and repression against Russian demonstrators (See formal notice).
The EU has introduced sanctions in full accordance with European and international law, restricting the sales of military and dual-use equipment to Russia. The EU has also introduced a system of individual restrictions on certain individuals, compliant with violations of international law.
See other examples in our database, such as claims that the West is using Navalny’s case as a pretext for sanctions; that the West needs a cause to sanction Russia and if there isn’t one, they will invent it; that the West invented Navalny’s poisoning to uphold the myth of an aggressive Russia; or that sanctions are a childish reaction of the EU.
This disinformation message appeared in the same TV programme as the claims that “Human rights are a Trojan horse in the West’s hybrid war” and that “Sanctions are whitewashed under beautiful terms but they are merely illegal actions”, and that “Claims about repression and concentration camps in China are exaggerations aiming to stop its influence”.