DISINFO: There is no evidence of the aggressiveness of Russia, but NATO is very aggressive
SUMMARY
There is no evidence of the aggressiveness of Russia. The aggressiveness is truly coming from the NATO forces that have encircled Russia and that are also encircling China.
RESPONSE
Recurrent disinformation narrative about NATO aggressively encircling peaceful Russia.
Recent Russian aggressive actions in Europe have been exposed before a commission of the EU Parliament on 10 May 2021 (Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation).
There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine, in the Donbas. The EU condemns the clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014. The European Union stated in July 2014 that "arms and fighters continue flowing into Ukraine from the Russian Federation". The so-called People's republics DNR and LNR receive humanitarian, financial and military backing from Russia
In the Georgian Region of South Ossetia, the role of Russia in the 2008 war is undeniable. It resulted in the further occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by additional military forces from Russia; a clear violation of Georgia's sovereignty. Many international organisations condemned the further occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, see for example the European Parliament's declaration.
The EU's independent investigative commission into the 2008 Russia-Georgian war confirmed that Russia had been provoking Georgia for a long time and "Much of the Russian military action went far beyond the reasonable limits of defence.
Russia continues its military presence in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia in violation of international law and commitments undertaken by Russia under the 12 August 2008 agreement, mediated by the European Union.
The fact that many countries want to collaborate or join NATO near the Russian Federation is not the result of a mythical will to encircle and conquer Russia by the alliance but the result of a Russian threat that pushes countries to find a defensive military alliance to contain this threat on their integrity.
NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect its member states. During the Warsaw summit in July 2016, NATO has made it clear that:
"The Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia".
NATO's exercises and military deployments are not directed against Russia – or any other country. Exercises are designed to ensure that NATO forces are trained, able to operate together and ready to respond to any threat from any direction.
Read related stories: NATO's actions are openly anti-Russian; Russia is not an aggressor or occupier in Donbas, Syria, South Ossetia; The West fabricated Navalny poisoning story to maintain the myth of Russian aggression; The expansion of NATO to the East is military aggression; Russia is not an aggressor in case of Crimea