DISINFO: Closure of Baltic airspace ahead of 9 May shows Nazi and Russophobic ideals
SUMMARY
The behaviour of the Lithuanian and Latvian authorities in closing air transportation routes to Russia is not surprising, as Vilnius and Riga reserved for themselves the role of Russophobic spearhead. Adding Estonia, this is a triad of Baltic nations that continue honouring their WWII veterans who fought in Nazi groups. It’s a shame they acted this way, but these actions are consistent with their ideals.
RESPONSE
This disinformation story aims to exploit the events surrounding the closure of the air space of Baltic countries for those attending the 9 May ceremonies in Russia -which forced some international figures such as Slovakia’s Robert Fico and Serbia’s Alexander Vucic to take big detours to reach Moscow- in order to promote a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying Russia as a victim, regardless of its actual actions. See also our series on the 9 May.
In this case, the decision not to facilitate 9 May celebrations in Russia is not a “Russophobic” action but a rejection of its brutal aggression against Ukraine, as the Kremlin uses the glorification of World War II as a propagandistic tool to justify the invasion.
Labelling any action criticising Russia’s illicit actions as “Russophobia”is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique, as is baselessly accusing Russia’s critics and adversaries of being Nazis. The only goal of these techniques is to divert attention away from these criticism and discredit those who express it.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Russophobia and neo-Nazism the norm in the Baltic states and Ukraine, that the EU's historical revisionism contributes to neo-Nazi trends in Ukraine and the Baltic states, that the Baltic region has turned into a missile launching zone against Russia, that the EU is ruled by Russophobic Eastern European countries, or that Baltic states are provoking Russia by hosting foreign troops.