DISINFO: Supporters of the Golden Billion mock Orban
SUMMARY
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, having visited Moscow, became a "European troublemaker", although he did not talk about supporting Russia, only tried to understand Russia's position on Ukraine.
Orban appeared as a "European troublemaker", such a European enfant terrible. He did not say: "I support Russia". He said many times that he does not support Russia. But he decided: "Listen, we are all talking about a settlement, but let's understand the parties' positions, at least understand, and then we will think, but we will understand from the source." And he went to Kyiv, to China, and came to Moscow. Now the entire European Union is simply mocking him for his trip to Moscow. These are people who declare themselves the centre of civilisation, who declare themselves as the golden billion. This situation is terrible.
RESPONSE
This is an attempt by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets to drive a wedge between European leaders and disrupt the EU’s support for Ukraine which is repelling Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression.
The claim is made in the context of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow on 5 July 2024.
European leaders just made it clear that Orbán’s visit to Moscow was not in an official EU capacity and that his talks with Putin did not reflect the Union’s official position on Russia's war in Ukraine. They did not deny his authority to hold talks with the Russian President, on behalf of his own country.
HRVP Josep Borrell said: ‘Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.’ Borrell added: ‘Prime Minister Orbán has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow. The EU's position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is reflected in many European Council conclusions. That position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form.’
European Council President Charles Michel said: ‘The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, and Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: ‘Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.’
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa all said that Orbán’s visit to Moscow was a unilateral decision and did not represent the EU’s position.
The idea of the "golden billion" ruling the world is a widespread Russian conspiracy regularly distributed by pro-Kremlin outlets. The golden billion appears to have first come to the wider public's attention in a 1990 article by the publicist Anatoly Tsikunov — writing under the pen name A. Kuzmich — called "The Plans of the Global Leadership for the Enslavement of Russia."
Since then, not a single piece of evidence has been produced to confirm the existence of such a plot. At that same time in Russia, just after the collapse of the USSR, something called the "Dulles plan" was made up. It was supposedly a plan by the CIA to destroy the Soviet Union during the Cold War by secretly corrupting the cultural heritage and moral values of the Soviet nation. This too is a wide-spread conspiracy in Russia.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that High ranking EU representatives are not authorised to speak on behalf of Europe, that the EU’s disintegration is close due to its anti-Russia sanctions, that Borrell said the EU’s foreign policy is a failure , and that The EU may collapse because of megalomaniac Polish elites.