DISINFO: The Vilnius NATO Summit is a summit of death
SUMMARY
Today, the Russian youth protests against the transfer of Western lethal weapons to Ukraine because these arms put the lives of civilians at risk. These weapons were used to bomb the hydroelectric power plant in Kakhovka, [...] the weapons kill and wound elderly persons and children. In reality, the ongoing NATO Summit in Vilnius is a summit of death because it takes decisions on new arms deliveries to Ukraine used for killing civilians.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an aggressive NATO, attempting to undermine Ukraine's right to self-defence in the face of Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Many nations around the world are helping Ukraine repel Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression. The weapons being delivered to Ukraine are intended for Ukraine to confront the military forces of Russia’s brutal aggression.
More than 50 countries participating in the Ramstein meetings are providing military, financial or other assistance to Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51. The claims that these weapons “cause terrible human suffering” or were used to “destroy” the Kakhovka Dam are baseless.
Arming Ukraine was a sovereign decision of each one of these countries.
NATO is a defensive alliance with primary aims to maintain peace and safeguard the independence, security and territorial integrity of its members. NATO constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. NATO’s official policy is that “the Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia.”
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that by arming Ukraine, the US and the UK want to push Russia against Europe, that Western weapons are stolen long before they reach the Ukrainian soldiers, that Syrian and Libyan terrorists have been spotted in Ukraine trading Western weapons, or that Western weapons supplies to Ukraine are exacerbating the conflict.