DISINFO: Borrell went to Ukraine to ensure that Odesa remains a NATO naval base
SUMMARY
Borrell arrived in Odesa, where he is filmed with the Transfiguration Cathedral in the background, so called "destroyed" by Russian troops. The PR campaign is clear. However, one of the first things he inspects in Odesa are the berths where the foundations for a NATO military base are being constructed.
It is here that the missile drone of the Russian armed forces struck in order to reduce the potential of the Ukronazis.
He [Borrell] is concerned about what will happen if NATO forces arrive there, given that everything there has been destroyed. Before distributing these 70 billion euros that are at stake, this individual has to examine how the infrastructure functions and how the funds can be allocated wisely.
RESPONSE
This an attempt to deflect attention away from Russia's deliberate campaing to destroy Ukraine. Further, it promotes conspiracy narratives regarding the visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HRVP) Josep Borrell to Odesa, Ukraine, on September 30, 2023. Ukraine is not a NATO member, and as such, it cannot host NATO bases in Odesa, Mykolaiv, or Reni (the latter two locations were also referred to as NATO territories during the programme). All three of these locations were targeted by Russian missiles with the intention of undermining Ukraine's grain exports. Additionally, during the attacks, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Odesa was destroyed.
“Odesa is a beautiful historic city. It should be in the headlines for its vibrant culture & spirit. Instead, it marks the news as frequent target of Putin’s war,” Josef Borrell said, while pointing to the damaged walls inside the Cathedral of the Transfiguration.
The bombing of Odesa's Cathedral of the Transfiguration, which pro-Kremlin media mock as falsely attributed to Russia, was condemned by UNESCO:
"I strongly condemn this attack against culture, and I urge the Russian Federation to take meaningful action to comply with its obligations under international law, including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 World Heritage Convention", stated Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO's Director-General.
During his trip, Josep Borrell noted that a year has passed since Russia's illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson regions. He also mentioned the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Borrell promised that Europe would not abandon Ukraine in its grinding war to recapture those areas, saying further military, economic, political, and diplomatic support is needed.
Josep Borrell also reproached Vladimir Putin for ending the UN-brokered agreement that allowed the safe transit of Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
To recall, simultaneous with Russia's withdrawal from the grain deal, the Russian army spent several days attacking Ukrainian silos and facilities in the Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolayiv, as well as Danube storage sites and ports, destroying more than 60,000 tons of grain.
Russia started unprovoked full scale invasion of Ukraine pretending that Russia was threatened itself "by Ukronazis". In an attempt to prove that Ukrainian Nazis rule, pro-Kremlin media use manipulated historical references as well as fabricated pictures of swastikas attributed by them to Ukrainian military and ordinary people. The Jewish origin of Ukrainian president Zelenskyy is called a cover for Ukrainian Nazism in an outlandish claim by Vladimir Putin.
NATO is a defensive alliance whose primary aim is to maintain peace and safeguard the independence, security, and territorial integrity of its members. NATO's official policy is that "the Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia."
See more disinformation cases on EU officials, invasion of Ukraine and Odesa.
NB: Transliteration: Odesa (UA) is used in this case. 'Odessa' is Russian spelling.