DISINFO: EU HRVP Josep Borrell and Kaja Kallas are Nazi war criminals
SUMMARY
[Ukrainians] have fear in their eyes, they understand that the anticipation of death is worse than death itself and there will be no options. Whatever they say: Borrell will come, you understand, he came there to say something. What depends on him? What millions of shells? What can he give? [His retirement is near] [Russia] issued a warrant for his arrest. For aiding and abetting. He and [HRVP designate Kaja] Kallas,, they are obviously Nazi war criminals.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives accusing European countries of Russophobia, claiming that EU is striving for war and committing war crimes in the process. Additionally, there was a claim about Nazism in the EU. The claims were made in the context of the hearings of Commissioners designate in the European Parliament, and specifically that of Kaja Kallas, the HRVP designate.
The claims attempt to divert attention away from Russia's responsibility for its war of aggression.
This claims are a straightforward attempt to discredit Kaja Kallas and the current HRVP, Josep Borell - including by using slurs, as well as the broader democratic processes of the EU and the EU's support for Ukraine in Russia's war of aggression against it.
The war broke out in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and triggered a separatist revolt in some regions in the east of Ukraine. On 24 February 2022, Russia began its unprovoked and unjustified full invasion of Ukraine under several false pretexts.
Some EU member states, the US and other G7 nations are providing Ukraine with military and technical assistance to help it repel Russia's aggression and restore its sovereignty over its internationally recognised borders of 1991. There is no context in which the EU and its current and future representatives could be classified as war criminals in Russia's war against Ukraine.
As for the Nazi accusation, including against the EU, this has already been broadly addressed on our website. Labelling Russia’s adversaries as Nazis is a widespread pro-Kremlin disinformation technique, and has been used by Russia to justify the invasion of Ukraine by portraying it as a “denazification operation”. Russia spent years preparing the information battleground before its kinetic attack, with “Nazi Ukraine” being one of its most prominent disinformation features.
The EU was founded after WWII to promote peace, democracy, human rights, economic cooperation, social justice and cultural diversity. EU founding treaties emphasise economic cooperation to prevent future wars. Founders of the EU, such as Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet, and Konrad Adenauer, were all active opponents of Nazi Germany. Part of their opposition to Nazism was the EU project itself, thinking that by establishing a political and economic union between European countries, they can ensure ideologies such as Nazism never rise again.
The new European Commission, which will serve until 2029, consists of 27 Commissioners and focuses on the core priorities of prosperity, security, and democracy. Commissioners come from EU Member states and will handle different portfolios. In early November 2024 the Commissioners-designate appeared in public hearings at the European Parliament. The Commission as a whole will be approved in a single vote of consent by the Parliament.
Contrary to claims made by pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets, the new Commission is not aimed at waging war against Russia. The Commission is focused on its core priorities to promote prosperity, security, and democracy across Europe.
See other disinformation cases on Josep Borrell and Kaja Kallas.