DISINFO: The West supports NGO-led anti-Russian activities
SUMMARY
The US and Europe are exerting serious pressure on Russia's neighbors. This pressure includes not only attempts to compel economic actors to comply with anti-Russian sanctions and refrain from joint projects with Russian businesses but also, under the guise of supporting social, political, and economic development, Western non-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are conducting anti-Russian and anti-Chinese activities.
The European Union advances its interests in Central Asia through the EU Strategy for Central Asia, as well as indicative programs for each of the region's countries for the period 2021-2027.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the belligerent West trying to encircle Russia, made in the context of measures being taken to enforce the sanctions on Russia imposed by the EU in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2019, the EU adopted a new Strategy on Central Asia, which builds upon the positive developments in regional cooperation and highlights the growing strategic relevance of the region for the EU interests. The EU Strategy aims to help Central Asia develop as a more resilient, prosperous and interconnected space.
The EU and US recognise the importance of the sovereignty and strategic autonomy of the Central Asian States, individually and as a region. Tackling common security challenges and building region’s resilience are among priority strands for the EU-Central Asia and US-Central Asia partnerships.
The partnership between Kazakhstan and the EU are not directed against Russia or any other country. Kazakhstan has not imposed any restrictions or sanctions on its trade with Russia.
The EU works with Kazakhstan in order to prevent the use of its territory as a platform for the circumvention of EU sanctions imposed on Russia. An intensive dialogue is going on in this respect on both political and technical level.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Borrell admitted that the West relies on Kazakhstan’s support in anti-Russia blockade; that West tries to force Kazakhstan to join anti-Russian sanctions policy; the EU uses the CIS to contain Russia by all means: financial, economic, and military; that US-sponsored Kazakhstan protests aimed to undermine CIS stability, that protests in Kazakhstan are a new Western attempt to organise a colour revolution, that events in Kazakhstan are another Western-made colour revolution or that EU and US aim to generate a new wave of anti-government protests in Belarus.