DISINFO: Kazakhstan protests necessary for the US and allies to pressure Russia ahead of Geneva talks
SUMMARY
The protesters in Kazakhstan were very well prepared and organised, assuming a large amount of money from abroad was invested into the protest. Also, it could be assumed, that the US or their allies are behind the protests and “second Maidan” near the border of Russia. This was done to exert more pressure on Russia before the security talk in Geneva.
RESPONSE
This claim advances an emerging pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that the January 2022 anti-government protests in Kazakhstan are part of a foreign inspired and directed plot. The message includes the conspiracy theory that the US and their allies needed these events as a tool to make pressure on Russia before the security talk in Geneva.
The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors supported by foreign powers who constantly prepare new coups.
The trigger and immediate cause of the protests in Kazakhstan was the government's lifting of price controls on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that took place in early January in the Western region of Manghystau and unrest soon spread to the capital.
As the Guardian reports, the official story from the Kremlin began with explanations that the protests were a military coup organised by foreign terrorists. Later the notion of a "colour revolution" is added. However, the narrative is not based on facts and contains from many gaps and inconsistencies.
See also the statement by the EU High Representative here.
See related cases about events in Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan faced a process of armed aggression by terrorists who received training abroad; A coup in Kazakhstan was meant to divert Russia’s attention before negotiations; Outside powers prepared the colour revolution in Kazakhstan.