Russia is the main power and, for many years, the main source of insecurity in the region monitored by Veridica journalists. News about Russia provides information about developments in real time and prominent leaders of Russia – from major decisions taken by president Vladimir Putin, to statements and actions of the main representatives of his regime, from Alexei Navalny’s case to the Wagner Group rebellion. Veridica is also monitoring Russia’s foreign policy, its relations with the collective West and with individual countries, as well as with client, allied or partner states across various fields of cooperation, such as China, Belarus, Iran or Turkey. Russia’s external operations, including the campaigns carried out by proxy organizations such as the Wagner Group, which is involved in theatres of operations Syria and several African countries, as well as the Kremlin’s energy policies, are equally followed by Veridica journalists. News about Russia also weighs in on narratives promoted by Russia, addressing both the public at home as well as external audiences, presented as part of fake news, disinformation or propaganda articles. Veridica’s newsroom staff, regional collaborators and Romanian experts are monitoring the impact of Russian policies and disinformation campaigns both in the region and beyond, in the main Western capitals. News about Russia provides a wide array of press articles, news, editorials, analyses, interviews and inquiries.
Narratives identical or similar to those fostered by Russian propaganda have also been circulated in the current election campaign in Romania. They transpired not only in the rhetoric of far-right parties, which for years have internalized such theses, but also in the statements of certain politicians aligned to Romania's pro-Western course.
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The Russian foreign intelligence service (SVR) says that the EU is preparing the infrastructure of the Republic of Moldova and Romania for war, and that Brussels is interfering with Moldova’s internal affairs, with devastating consequences.
Declassified documents presented by Romanian intelligence prove that Călin Georgescu is supported by a state actor. The state in question is not named, but its actions are similar to operations previously carried out by Russia.
Pro-European right-wing parties in Romania grabbed large numbers of votes in Moldova, while the Romanian diaspora opted for sovereigntist forces. Experts believe that sovereigntists were rejected because they are hostile to Ukraine.
Romanian influencers, like the sports agent Ana Maria Prodan, continue to promote Călin Georgescu. Just like their favorite, influencers have been amplifying a series of Russian narratives, most of them adapted to Romania, but also all kinds of pseudo-scientific or conspiracy nonsense.
There was a coup in Ukraine because the authorities at the time did not resort to force to stop it, the pro-Kremlin press is lying 11 years after the brutal police intervention at Euromaidan.
The pro-Kremlin press writes that Zelensky wants to keep the war going until only 10 million people are left in Ukraine. The reason? The EU will accept it more easily because it will have fewer MEPs.
Ukrainian refugees in Latvia have generally been well received, but there were also some displays of hostility. Experts warn a long-term integration program is needed for the refugees.
Zelenskyy is a foreign agent who wants to prevent Western leaders from talking to Putin, so that peace in Ukraine is not achieved, pro-Kremlin propaganda writes.
Although Russia is a threat to Estonia, Russian speakers here have voted for pro-Russian politicians in the legislative elections. They now want to win the main Russian-speaking city, Narva, in the local elections.
Georgescu was once considered a technocrat with a solid international career. When that career ended, he adopted a pro-Russian and anti-Western discourse and expressed his admiration for Ion Antonescu and Corneliu Zelea Codreanu.
From Diana Șoșoacă's “pen revolution” to George Simion's “giro giro girofaru” posts and #CălinGeorgescu, sovereigntists have taken Romania’s TikTok by storm, a space where they campaigned even on election day. Altogether, sovereigntist candidates grabbed nearly 40% of total votes.
Moldova wants a wall on the border with Ukraine, similar to the one proposed by Donald Trump between the USA and Mexico, according to an obviously false item of “news” published on several websites in Russia and the Republic of Moldova.
According to pro-Kremlin propaganda, Ukraine rejects Russia's peace initiatives because the authorities have adopted an anti-Russian and neo-Nazi ideology.
Against the background of the war in Ukraine, Russia is stepping up hybrid attacks against NATO countries. Being at the forefront of Russia’s campaign, Poland has been facing an increasing number of sabotages.
According to pro-Kremlin media, the Kyiv Parliament is accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of provoking a civil war or a nuclear conflict just to stay in power.
At the West’s bidding, Moldova is ready to further worsen relations with Russia and introduce visas for Russian citizens, according to a false narrative launched in Tiraspol.
Despite Western sanctions, Russia managed to keep its economy afloat by switching its trade flows to China and India. However, on the long run that makes the Russian economy more vulnerable.
Alexander Lukashenko may be grooming the head of his presidential administration, Dmitry Krutoy, to be his successor. Krutoy is considered to be staunchly pro-Russian.
Ukraine's attacks on Russian territory show the terrorist nature of the Zelensky regime, according to pro-Kremlin media, citing Maria Zakharova.
The pro-Russian parties have launched the campaign for the legislative elections that will take place in 2025 in the Republic of Moldova with disinformation, claiming that Maia Sandu is not a legitimate president. The stake: the European path of the country.
The territories of modern Ukraine are historically Russian, and Ukrainians and Russians are the same people, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda.
Russia’s budget proposal for 2025-2027 confirms many analysts' bold predictions — it is, in essence, a budget for prolonged warfare.
The EU is destroying Ukraine by funding the war, it has done nothing to help and has ruined its economy, pro-Kremlin propaganda writes.
At home, Donald Trump could adopt certain illiberal measures. At international level, we could see new policies towards Russia and Ukraine, a trade war with China, tensions with Europe and an escalation in the Middle East.
Maia Sandu lost the elections in Moldova, so she is only the president of the diaspora, writes the pro-Kremlin media, pushing this conclusion through disinformation and manipulation and misinterpretation of facts.
Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees that Russia violated with its 2014 invasion. President Zelensky has recently said his country could rebuild its nuclear arsenal.
Russia needs weapons and people from allies like North Korea to keep the war in Ukraine going, says the Russian independent international relations expert Pavel Luzin.
According to Russian propaganda, peace in Ukraine depends on stopping Western military aid to the terrorist regime in Kyiv.
Russia lost a battle in the hybrid war against Chișinău, but the election also revealed Moldova's vulnerabilities, the pro-Europeans' faulty communication and the need for the authorities to do more. Veridica’s staff and contributors analyze the result of the election.
Minsk's illusion of economic sovereignty appears to be eroding rapidly. Although the connection to Russia may seem beneficial in the short term, in the long term it will hamper Belarus' economic growth.
The election and the referendum took place in an undemocratic climate, and now Parliament can decide, by a simple majority vote, to discard neutrality and unite with Romania, Russian propaganda claims.
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