Read Tomorrow’s Headlines in the Kremlin Media Today
A feature of pro-Kremlin disinformation is that it is fairly repetitive. Old tropes are regurgitated endlessly with only minor details changed. Wednesday summit between the presidents of Russia and the US will produce a few very predictable headlines in the Kremlin-controlled disinformation ecosystem. In fact, we have already seen it before:
Claim: Putin is a Hard Nut to Crack (Tsargrad, 13 June 2021)
Joe Biden admitted that the US is unable to influence on the position of Russia’s President. And there is an explanation for this: “he is Vladimir Putin”.
Fact: International politics, summits and dialogue between world leaders is not a competition on who is toughest. The current challenges of the world – climate change, poverty, human rights, gender equality, terrorism and the ongoing, still lethal, pandemic – calls for cooperation. International leaders have attempted to engage in constructive dialogue with Russia for several years.
Cases, concerning “Putin” in the EUvsDisinfo database on disinformation.
Claim: The Summit is a Great Achievement of Russian Diplomacy (RIAFAN, 10 June 2021)
The 16 June summit proves that the West’s attempts to isolate Russia have failed
Fact: All US presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt have met Russia’s leaders. The US, like the EU, will continue to engage with Russia in such areas as global security issues, trade, combatting international terrorism, addressing climate change, and promoting sustainable development in the Artic.
Cases, concerning “Diplomacy” in the EUvsDisinfo database on disinformation
Claim: “Russia is a Voice of Reason and Pragmatism” (Statement by Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, 9 June 2021)
These principles [of Russia’s foreign policy] are independence, pragmatism, a multi-vector approach, respect for international law and openness to cooperation with anyone who is willing to interact on the basis of equality and mutual respect.
Russia has systematically violated international law and bilateral agreements. Examples include Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea; violation of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the OSCE dimensions on security.
Claim: Russophobia is a driving factor of Western Foreign Policy (Ukraina.ru 8 June 2021)
The Putin – Biden summit might become a trap for the Kremlin. Without a doubt Washington will exploit the summit for cementing Russia’s status as “enemy of the people number one” in America. All reasonable Western experts underscore the fact the Biden team consists of ideologists and not politicians or diplomats. This might, according the experts, be the least professional administration in the history of the United States.
Fact: An unfounded claim without any sources for those “experts”. Russophobia is one of the go-to explanations of Kremlin disinformation outlets for any form of criticism towards Russian violations of international law.
Cases concerning “Russophobia” in the EUvsDisinfo database of disinformation.
Claim: Russophobia is a driving factor of Western Foreign Policy (Ukraina.ru 8 June 2021)
The Putin – Biden summit might become a trap for the Kremlin. Without a doubt Washington will exploit the summit for cementing Russia’s status as “enemy of the people number one” in America. All reasonable Western experts underscore the fact the Biden team consists of ideologists and not politicians or diplomats. This might, according the experts, be the least professional administration in the history of the United States.
Fact: An unfounded claim without any sources to those “experts”. Russophobia is one of the Kremlin disinformation outlets go-to explanations for any form of criticism towards Russian violations of international law.
Cases, concerning “Russophobia” in the EUvsDisinfo database of disinformation.
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We might also hear claims about Anglo-Saxons, about the corrupt Western Elites and generally very selective descriptions of the summit. Recently, the EU Council president Charles Michel and Russia’s president Putin had a telephone conversation. The EU Council Press Service relates the conversation in the following way:
President Michel conveyed the European Council’s position on EU-Russia relations and that in their May discussions, EU leaders condemned the illegal, provocative and disruptive Russian activities against the EU, its member states and others.
This is the same conversation as presented by the Kremlin:
The current state of Russia-EU relations could not be considered satisfactory. It was noted that a return to pragmatic and respectful cooperation would be in the interests of both.
There is an old joke from the Cold War Era. A car race between a Soviet Moskvich and a US Chevrolet. The US car wins, and the Soviet press reports, triumphantly: “The race was a complete fiasco for the US team, finishing second to last; while the Soviet team earned an honourable silver medal”.
