DISINFO: Anti-Russian exercises might be cancelled due to the coronavirus
SUMMARY
Coronavirus has changed the alignment in the military. NATO exercises Defender Europe failed. A cancellation of exercises planned for spring is possible. The Defender Europe 2020 exercises should be held in several European countries along the western border of Russia in April-May of this year. And they are considered anti-Russian.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West/ NATO threatening or encircling Russia and the US-led military exercise "Defender-Europe 2020". Whilst it is true that this exercise has been stopped due to coronavirus, it is untrue to say they are aimed or targeted at Russia. US Major General Andrew Rohling Deputy Commanding General for the US Army in Europe, informs that the US-led exercise "Defender 2020" is an American exercise with 18 NATO partner countries. Rohling emphasises that the aim of the exercise is not to target any country, but rather to test strategic readiness and how to react to a crisis. See other examples of disinformation about NATO in our database, such as its never-ending provocations, its attempts to block Moscow in its sphere of influence, the Alliance's permanent targeting of Russia and Belarus, its role as a US subjugation tool for other countries and its unreliability to defend its members or its plans to continue attacking other countries.