DISINFO: The US is pushing Bulgaria toward war with Russia
SUMMARY
The US is using the war in Ukraine to influence Bulgaria, which houses NATO command centres, to wage war on Russia. It is inconceivable for Bulgaria to fight Russia (e.g., common Slavic heritage, Eastern Orthodox religion, Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule, etc.) in the impending war. Ukrainian forces are expected to attack the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics by the end of April and Islamic fighters have been transported to Ukraine to participate in the fighting. It is possible NATO will push Ukraine to attack Russia, in which case Moscow might have to react first.
RESPONSE
A combination of recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives that attempt to justify Russia’s aggressive foreign policy by claiming that NATO is provoking a war against Russia.
Specific claims made about Bulgaria’s historical connection to Russia amount to historical revisionism and utilizing historical interpretations to discourage challenges to Kremlin foreign policy. In particular, it presents a romanticised historical interpretation of Russia singlehandedly fighting the Ottoman Empire to liberate Bulgaria, without political motivations, a notion that has been debunked by reputable media and contemporary Bulgarian historians.
The article relies on distorted information and presents no evidence to support the claim that the US is influencing Bulgaria to become involved in a war against Russia.
While NATO has been concerned by Russia’s renewed concentration of troops and arms on Ukraine’s territory, the claim that the organization is pushing its members, such as Bulgaria, toward war with Russia is not supported by evidence. NATO has debunked such claims as “absurd”, stating that the organisation’s aim is collective security and that its “exercises and military deployments are not directed against Russia – or any other country”. In fact, Bulgaria has expressed concern repeatedly about escalating tensions in the Black Sea and is wary of antagonising Russia.
Similar disinformation cases in the database claim Russia fought the Ottoman empire to liberate Bulgaria, that NATO is pursuing its bureaucratic survival through nonexistent threats, that NATO’s “Defender Europe 2021” exercise is preparation for war with Russia and that NATO needs Georgia as a military platform to attack Russia.