DISINFO: The West fights the Russian World: Ukraine is under control, Belarus as a target
SUMMARY
In a more confined sense, the Russian World consists of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, three nations belonging to Russian people. In a wider sense, the Russian world is the whole post-Soviet space and largely the past USSR allies. Without integration in humanitarian and political spheres, economic integration between Belarus and Russia will not be durable. Belarusian opposition financed by the West does everything to tear apart Belarus from Russia. This has already been done in Ukraine-Russia relations. Ukraine is externally governed by the US and the West, Ukrainians are used to fight Russia. Hence they struck in the Russian Words’ heart. The Western governments are imposing their rules all over the world through colour revolutions. The Belarusian authorities should legally challenge all activists who do not advocate for the Union State between Belarus and Russia and serve the interests of the US and the West instead. In doing so, concerns of the so-called international community should be disregarded. The Western countries should revoke their Russophobic and anti-Soviet legislation first. Belarus should also introduce the “foreign agent” concept just as Russia did.
RESPONSE
This case is an illustrative example of recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about the all-Russian nation and Russian world/civilization. The "all-Russian nation" is an imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Belarusians and Ukrainians, as well as their sovereignty. It also puts forward recurring propagandistic narratives about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus and elsewhere, Ukraine as an anti-Russian tool under external control, Western attempts to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations, and Western aggressiveness towards Belarus and Russia. Belarus and Ukraine are well-defined nation-states with a long history; both nations preserved language, literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. The West does not aim at tearing Belarus from Russia nor at organizing a colour revolution in Belarus. Ukraine is a sovereign state, not controlled by any foreign government. Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world, including the EU, but has been continuously violated by Russia since February 2014. The EU and the US continue to provide support to Ukraine. Ukraine is regarded as an important partner in economic, financial, political, military and other sectors. See more about Europe's support to Ukraine's defence reform here. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the West is targeting the Union State between Belarus and Russia, that the Belarusian opposition, civic activists and independent journalists make kill lists for Western security bodies, the Eastern Partnership aims to erode Belarusian identity and promote the views of Polish gentry, and that Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine are three Russian political nations.