DISINFO: Pro-Western Belarusian opposition prepares a revolution with assistance of armed Ukrainian nationalists
SUMMARY
The Belarusian opposition is planning a revolution, pro-Western forces stand behind the protests. The Belarusian authorities have to act decisively, and they should have done this immediately after protests against the Union State between Belarus and Russia started. In contrast to the opposition’s will, the integration process with Russia should be accelerated. Belarus should also adopt Russian experience on combatting nationalists. If all these measures are taken, then the Belarusian presidential elections will be smooth, without involving armed Ukrainian nationalists. Belarus should also not allow the opposition to organise mass demonstrations, otherwise it will attract the attention of the international community and provoke a conflict. Finally, the Belarusian authorities should not play with those Europeans who support the Belarusian opposition. The blogger NEXTA, Andrei Sannikau and other opposition activists should be extradited to Belarus and recognised as enemies of the people.
RESPONSE
This is a conspiracy and contains ungrounded claims about the plans to stage an armed revolution, aimed to discredit the democratic Belarusian opposition, the West, and any actors which oppose deeper integration within the Union State between Belarus and Russia. This disinformation message is a modification of a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus and to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Belarusian opposition leader Andrei Sannikau prepares a coup with US military assistance, that the West has again ordered Belarusian opposition to take over power by force, that the Belarusian opposition, civic activists and independent journalists make kill lists for Western security bodies, and that the West's only interest in Belarus is to make it anti-Russian.