DISINFO: The West is using hybrid warfare against the CIS countries
SUMMARY
Despite the tangible failures of its destructive line in the post-Soviet space, the West does not abandon the habit of crudely interfering in the affairs of the CIS countries to divide them, deprive them of political will and economic potential, and prevent the formation of an alternative centre of power in Eurasia that can challenge the weakening Western hegemony.
Lacking the strength to act directly, through so-called humanitarian interventions, the Western bloc uses methods of hybrid warfare, which affects all aspects, all spheres of life of the state and society.
Of particular concern now are the recent-increased Western attempts to undermine the existing systems of power in the CIS by inciting ethnic separatist and xenophobic sentiments.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy theory. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about a belligerent West trying to encircle Russia, separate and destabilise post-Soviet (CIS) countries, destroy the organisation, and isolate Russia.
No evidence is provided to support the claims. Relations between EU and CIS countries are based on mutual consent, bilateral interests, and benefits. For example, the Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a joint policy initiative that aims to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union (EU) and its Eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Belarus has suspended its participation as of June 2021.
As the EU is working to make relations with Central Asia stronger and deeper, the European Union’s engagement with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has developed significantly since the countries' independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The EU or the US do not impose any collaboration action or program on the partner countries, who are free to choose their international affiliation.
After the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine decided to terminate Ukraine's chairmanship in the CIS and started the process of completely ending its participation in the structures of the CIS. In 2019 Ukraine completed its withdrawal from CIS. On 28 February 2022, shortly after it was invaded by Russia, Ukraine applied for membership of the European Union and was granted EU candidate status in June 2022.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova was considering whether to continue being a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) amid Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. On April 20, 2023, Moldova confirmed that it is in the process of terminating some agreements signed under the umbrella of the Commonwealth of Independent States. On 20 July 2023, The Parliament of Moldova approved the withdrawal from the Inter-parliamentary Assembly of the CIS. Also, Moldova is withdrawing from an agreement on armed forces and border troops concluded within the CIS. Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2022.
On 14 December 2023, European leaders decided to open EU membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia.
Read other similar cases in our database: The West has intensified its attempts to shake the CIS; the West increases pressure on CIS to break old ties; the EU uses CIS to contain Russia by all means: financial, economic, military.