DISINFO: Unlike the EU, Russia provided Italy with concrete help
SUMMARY
Unlike the EU, Russia provided Italy with concrete help. The Russian assistance to Italy is a perfect example of solidarity. Meanwhile, the European Parliament decided that there is an increasing number of people with depression living in Europe, so it declared May 27th as the European Day of Optimism (so far, it is a proposition from MEPs). The EU does not offer [to Italy] any specific solutions, while the Russian help to Italy, and its citizens, is concrete.
RESPONSE
This message is part of the Kremlin’s disinformation campaign around the Coronavirus epidemic. It promotes a narrative of the EU's failing efforts in its fight with the epidemic as opposed to the successful Russian ones. Evidence is emerging that there are significant shortcomings with the aid sent by Russia, with one report estimating that up to 80% of this aid is ineffective. The Russian aid delivered to Italy is mainly composed of various equipment for disinfecting the streets. This type of equipment is not urgently required in Italy and has been described as a Russian “geopolitical and diplomatic charm offensive”. The EU and its member states have provided humanitarian and financial assistance to Italy as follows: • Establishment of two packages of financial support for countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak (about 37 billion EUR); • 50 million EUR approved by the European Commission to support Italian production and supply of medical equipment; approval of the Italian State guarantee supporting a debt moratorium from banks to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the coronavirus outbreak. • The German hospitals continue receiving Italian patients with the Coronavirus See other disinformation messages connected to the Coronavirus epidemics such as Coronavirus will cause the dissolution of the EU and NATO, Pentagon-funded biological laboratories involved in creation of Coronavirus, The Baltic states may not survive the coronavirus-related economic crisis and Germany called for lifting sanctions against Russia because of Coronavirus.