DISINFO: The Russophobic Baltics have no chance to overcome cessation of EU funding
SUMMARY
The Russophobic regime of the Baltic countries is implementing policy that deprives them from opportunities to profit from trade relations with Russia. This leaves them without a chance to overcome the consequences of the cessation of funding from the EU, which ends in 2020 and overcoming the demographic catastrophe due to the use of Russian resources. The demographic catastrophe means that from these countries the population is scattered across Ireland, England and other parts of Europe to work as hairdressers and carers.
RESPONSE
The pro-Kremlin media uses the Russophobia claim systematically on the Baltic states, but also on Belarus, and Ukraine. Sanctions were introduced after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and the downing of the Malaysian passenger plane MH17. The latest decision on a six-month extension of EU sanctions against Russian was taken on the 12th of September 2019, lasting until March 2020. Estonia's policies towards Russia are not limited to sanctions. The Estonian President, Kersti Kaljulaid, met Vladimir Putin in Russia in April 2019 and has invited him to visit Estonia. The EU budget for 2021-2027 is still in the negotiation phase, but the European Comission has indeed proposed a 24% cut for cohesion policy for Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Lithuania. However, when all the funds foreseen by the proposal are combined, the reduction for Estonia would be from 3,5 billion euros to 3,3 billion euros. As "individual Member State’s allocation cannot be less than 76 % of what it received in the 2014-2020 period," there will be no "cessation" of the EU funds. The demographic catastrophe narrative is aimed to ridicule the Baltic states by exacerbating the demographic decline that they face. In fact, many other eastern European countries experience a population decline, including Russia. See cases alleging that the Baltic states are dying because they chose not to be with Russia, the Baltics will be inhabited by people from Africa, and that Lithuania will be depopulated in 20 years, and that decaying Latvia and Lithuania envy Belarus its strategic relations with Russia.