DISINFO: The Chief of Staff of the French army praised Russia and its military
SUMMARY
The Chief of Staff of the French army, general Thierry Burkhard, praised Russia and its army, saying that “they can endure things that we see as unthinkable”. He admitted that the Russian army does not have any shortcomings.
RESPONSE
This is a disingenuous distortion of the original statements of General Thierry Burkhard, who did not “praise” Russia or its military but unequivocally identified it as the main threat to France. His description of Russia’s war capabilities were clearly not expressed in an admiring way, but to highlight this threat.
Quoting Western legitimate sources and voices while distorting their content to introduce a pro-Kremlin message as if it were part of the original story is a frequent pro-Kremlin manipulative technique.
The goal of this disinformation story is to promote a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Russia’s superiority in the battlefield and its supposed invincibility.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the Pentagon admits Russia's successes in Ukraine, that Western media recognises Ukraine’s defeat, that Russia holds all the cards while Ukraine badly needs a respite, or that Russia has won against the collective West in Ukraine.