-
The African Tour
-
The Abkhaz annexation
|
|
|
|
-
Putin’s Prisoner Swap Calculus
-
Targeting Russia’s Global Malign Influence Operations
|
|
|
|
- Kremlin's Narratives in Western Societies
-
Kremlin says: Ukraine has killed its heroes from Mariupol
-
New "reproach" to Ukraine from Orban
|
|
|
|
- Russian Propaganda in Ukraine
-
Lavrov: Russia will help to eliminate "anti-people and anti-historical regime"
-
"Ukrainians urged Zelenskyy to resume peace talks with Russia" - Kremlin media
|
|
|
|
📣We added more content! 🇺🇦
From now on we will provide more content, separatly focusing on Russian Propaganda in Ukraine and Kremlin's Narratives in Western Society!
Enjoy!
|
|
|
|
Last week, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov completed a visit to the African countries of Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Republic of the Congo with the intent to strengthen the Kremlin’s ties with these countries. Lavrov took advantage of colonial history and crimes in African history, spreading disinformation to attempt to undermine and discredit the West and openly admitting the goal of causing a regime change in a sovereign state.
Russia is responsible for only 1% of all investments into Africa, but it desperately needs to show that despite increasing Western sanctions, it is not internationally isolated. In addition, the Kremlin has been using unofficial and controversial means to obtain imbalanced resource deals in some of these countries, whose leaders ultimately rely on Russian support to maintain power, disrupting the attempt at the democratic transition of other countries as well.
To this end, Moscow is rewarding the 25 out of 54 African countries which have not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a grain deal. By doing this, Russia hopes to give the impression that sanctions do not affect them and assert a new “might makes right” world order with Moscow at the top.
|
|
|
|
In January, the de facto parliament of Abkhaz reached an agreement in Moscow to concede a portion of its coastal area to Russia, a deal which only became public knowledge in July of 2022, as negotiations were already underway since January. Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili immediately condemned the deal as another form of annexation by Russia, while the de facto president of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania claimed that it was a direct request from Putin, and the region cannot afford to give up Russian support.
The move is largely symbolic, as Russia was already granted access to the Pitsunda area through a similar deal in 1995, the new agreement extends the lease of all properties and structures in the Pitsunda area to Russia for another 49 years.
The original deal was agreed upon after a hash conflict that resulted in the split of the Abkhaz region from Georgia in 1992-93, although its independence was only recognized by Russia and Nicaragua in 2008, Russia then established a large military base in the area in 2009.
|
|
|
|
Putin’s Prisoner Swap Calculus |
|
|
|
During the call, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to accept the proposal for the release of two high-profile Americans detained in Russia. As Blinken stated Lavrov suggested “quiet diplomacy” for dealing with the prisoners’ issue instead of resorting to diffusing speculative information. In particular, the exchange deals with Brittney Griner, a WNBA star, who was arrested in Moscow in February after cannabis oil had been found in her luggage.
She acknowledged that cannabis oil belonged to her, but she did not have any criminal intent. The two-time Olympic medalist faces a possible 10 years in prison. Paul Whelan, the second American prisoner, is a former Marine who was detained in 2018 on espionage charges. He was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison.
In exchange for two high-profile Americans, Washington will propose the exchange of convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout detained in the USA. Bout is called “ Merchant of Death” for fueling civil wars in Africa and bloody conflicts in Latin America. It is worth noting that for the Biden administration, approving a prisoner swap represents a challenging diplomatic, human, and political calculus.
|
|
|
|
Targeting Russia’s Global Malign Influence Operations |
|
|
|
As the Russian Federation continues to undermine the democratic processes and institutions that are essential to the functioning of the democracy. In response to these malign activities, the US sanctioned two individuals and four entities that support the Kremlin’s influence operations and election interference activities. The sanctioned individuals and entities played various roles in Russia’s attempts to manipulate the US and its partners, including Ukraine.
In particular, the Russian Intelligence Services as well as the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) support influence operations against the US and its partners. The intelligence services recruit individuals who are called “co-optees” and then they use leverage to force these individuals to create divisions in the country.
The “co-optees" fulfil certain assignments, for instance, informing the intelligence services about specific people and events. Besides the use of "co-optees”, the Kremlin uses official, proxy, and unattributed digital channels and platforms, to create and disseminate disinformation and propaganda. Another prominent interference effort of the Kremlin is Project Lakhta administered and funded by Yevgeniy Prigozhin. Project Lakhta represents the disinformation campaign that targets audiences in the USA, Europe, Ukraine, and even Russia.
|
|
|
|
Kremlin says: Ukraine has killed its heroes from Mariupol |
|
|
|
Former US intelligence officer Ritter said that the order to hit the pre-trial detention centre in Olenivka was given by the highest authorities of Ukraine, reports Ren.tv. "Ukraine hit the pre-trial detention centre in Olenivka to kill its prisoners, as they gave evidence that harms the Kyiv regime." According to him, the blow was made from the American MLRS HIMARS, which was recently delivered to Ukraine. Such weapons are a strategic asset and are used only on command by higher authorities.
"Control targets are also coordinated by the closest allies, including the United States, who provide support and intelligence to establish control targets. The HIMARS system is also the system that the Russians want to destroy, so every time its use imposes a risk," Ritter emphasized.
He believes that the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit the pre-trial detention centre to intimidate other Ukrainian prisoners, hinting that if they testify, they will also become a control target. According to Ritter, the incident should be investigated not only by Russia but by the whole world, including Western countries, in order to "understand the nature of the Ukrainian regime."
|
|
|
|
New "reproach" to Ukraine from Orban |
|
|
|
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Ukraine will not be able to defeat Russia with the current NATO support strategy. He also warned of the dire consequences of the war for the European economy, reports Obozrevatel.
The politician explained his opinion by the fact that the strategy of the countries of NATO to support Ukraine with weapons and training allegedly "still showed that it would not lead to success."
"There will be no peace without a change in strategy. It is not clear how we can avoid a recession in the European Union if the war continues," the Hungarian prime minister added, noting that without peace in Ukraine, the entire European Union "will be drawn into a military situation." Orban warned of the impossibility of imposing an EU embargo on Russian gas and informs UN. "We just hit a wall, and this wall is called a gas embargo, and I would suggest to the EU not to knock on this wall," Orban said.
|
|
|
|
Lavrov: Russia will help to eliminate "anti-people and anti-historical regime" |
|
|
|
Kremlin authorities and propaganda continue their false rhetoric to justify the war against Ukraine. In particular, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia would help the Ukrainian people to eliminate "anti-people and anti-historical regime." He added that the Russians and Ukrainians allegedly "will continue to live together." As a foreign state, Russia should not interfere in Ukraine's domestic policy at all. Lavrov's words about "the historical unity of the Ukrainians and Russians" are one of the clichés of Russian propaganda, built on the history and communist ideology rewritten by the Kremlin authorities.
Russian propaganda is trying to divide the law-elected and internationally recognized Government of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people to justify their war by calling it "the liberation of Ukrainians." Lavrov's statement about the further "common life" of Ukrainians and Russians does not correspond to reality because 92% of Ukrainians have a bad attitude towards Russia.
|
|
|
|
"Ukrainians urged Zelenskyy to resume peace talks with Russia" - Kremlin media |
|
|
|
Russian propaganda began to actively promote the narrative that “Ukrainians are tired of the war and want it to end as soon as possible”. In this context, the Russian media disseminated information that the “Ukrainians are asking President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit down at the negotiating table as soon as possible, so that the number of deaths of the civilian population of Ukraine will not grow”.
The Kremlin media refer in their publications to a petition posted on the website of the President of Ukraine on July 26, calling for the resumption of peace talks with Russia and reaching an agreement.
The Russian newspaper Izvestia (News) decided to lie about the real number of signers of this petition. It said that a petition had already been signed by 30,000 people – out of 25,000 needed for the President of Ukraine to consider the appeal.
As of August 3, the petition received 523 votes, which is also clearly not enough for it to be considered. In fact, the abovementioned petition does not reflect the public mood among the citizens of Ukraine. According to the poll conducted between July 6 and 20 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 84% of Ukrainians are not ready for territorial concessions to end the war.
|
|
|
|
This newsletter is supported by the European Cultural Foundation
|
|
|
|
|
|
Support us! |
|
You can support us by clicking to donate money via our website, transfer your money to our transparent bank account 2300405420/2010 or simply by scanning the QR code within your internet banking app. Thank you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elita Khmelidze
Eleonora Sobrero
Dmytro Filonenko
Marcin Jerzewski
in collaboration with experts from Information Defense Hub
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you would like to give us feedback or suggestions, please contact Kremlin Watch project coordinator |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For comments. suggestions or media inquiries, please contact Kremlin Watch analyst |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|