In the Putin era, Iran has become one of Russia’s most significant allies and a key element for Moscow’s ambitions in the Middle East. What Russia cannot do, however, is protect its ally, and that says a lot about the true strength of the “empire” that Vladimir Putin wants.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to Bucharest to demand that Romania attack Iran and Russia, according to a false narrative launched by pro-Russian politician Diana Șoșoacă, the leader of SOS Romania. The narrative was questioned even by the Russian propaganda television station Russia Today.
Governments in ex-Soviet states have a strategy of demonizing Russia and promoting Russophobia, and Maia Sandu's recent visit to Vilnius fits into this context, according to Russian propaganda. Maia Sandu actually went to Vilnius to mark the anniversary of Lithuania's independence.
The desire of the Donbas population to join Russia must be respected, and Moscow will not accept a ceasefire as long as Ukraine remains armed, pro-Kremlin media claim.
Europe is morally decadent because it remains indifferent to the victims of the attack on Iran and supports Ukraine, while Putin remains the sole leader devoted to moral principles, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda, which conveniently overlooks the fact that Vladimir Putin is indicted for war crimes.
The attack on Iran by the United States and Israel has led to the outbreak of World War III, according to a false narrative circulating widely online in Romania. It was promoted by the extremist MEP Diana Șoșoacă in a TikTok post that had 1.7 million views and nearly 17,000 shares. In reality, the conflict is regional, and even in that area there have been other conflicts that have attracted more international players without becoming "world" events.
Viktor Orbán’s policy of doing business with Russia and China, and turning Hungary into a beacon of “illiberal democracies”, alienated the country’s EU partners and that came with an economic cost. Orbán’s main rival Péter Magyar shares some of Orbán’s views, but he promises to make amends with Brussels.
Ukraine will receive nuclear weapons from France and Great Britain and will use them to blackmail Western countries, as it seeks to control the entire world, according to a false narrative launched by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
February 2022 dealt a crushing blow to the sense of security.
The government in Chișinău intends to sever relations with Russia and expel its ambassador, claims a propagandist in Tiraspol who misquotes Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu.
Ukraine must be placed under external administration so that peace can be achieved, according to a former Prime Minister who fled to Moscow. He also claims that Great Britain, Germany and France want to prolong the war.
Ukraine will collapse within a few days, losses on the front will cause Russians to revolt against Putin, Russia and NATO will end up in a nuclear war—these are some of the scenarios that have been considered in the four years since the launch of the large-scale invasion. These "prophecies," even if they have not come true, have marked the conflict and the behavior of the various players directly or indirectly involved in it and can provide benchmarks for understanding the present and clues for future developments.
Russia is portrayed almost as a bastion of democracy — supposedly a paradise for ordinary citizens, especially compared to other states.
The dispute between two metropolitan bishoprics over the construction of a church is interpreted by Russian propaganda as a sign of Chișinău's Russophobia. In reality, representatives of the Metropolis subordinate to the Russian Patriarchate are rejecting an old court decision, as well as the villagers' desire for the church to be transferred to the metropolis subordinate to the Romanian Patriarchate.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was allegedly involved in the network trafficking minors coordinated by American pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to a narrative carried by Russian state media and subsequently picked up in Romania. In fact, although Zelenskyy's name is mentioned a few times in the Epstein archives, nothing suggests his involvement in human trafficking.
European integration weakens Moldova's energy security and deprives it of access to suppliers from the US and the CIS, according to a false narrative that was launched in Chisinau and taken up by Russian propaganda.
Ukraine's leadership is leading the country toward a widespread catastrophe, but is hiding its incompetence by blaming the war for the existing problems, according to a false narrative taken up by pro-Kremlin propaganda.
The European Union is keeping the Republic of Moldova as a market for its goods, blocking its exports to the single market and preventing it from securing its energy independence, according to a Telegram channel.
Volodymyr Zelensky is desperate to hold on to power and wants Russia to recognize his legitimacy so he can remain president, claims a false narrative promoted by pro-Russians in the West and amplified by the pro-Kremlin press.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán claims Ukraine is meddling in Hungary’s election campaign. The claim is not notable because it is proven, but because it can be deployed without proof and still do political work.
The Verkhovna Rada has called on Ukraine to renounce war and return to dialogue and the "historical unity" with Russia and Belarus in order to achieve lasting peace, according to pro-Kremlin media.
Russia has grand plans for the Arctic and the world's largest fleet of icebreakers to see them through. However, Moscow lacks the funds to implement its strategy, while its fleet is rapidly aging.
SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin decided to spell out how Moscow’s missile and nuclear blackmail should be interpreted: namely, if you didn’t get the message, we can fire the “Oreshnik” if European states continue to support Ukraine — and especially if they deploy their forces there.
The U.S. president’s claims to Greenland have to be taken seriously, even if he confuses it with Iceland. In Estonia, the twists and turns of American politics are being watched with particular anxiety.
Ukraine wants a mutual suspension of hostilities on energy infrastructure in order to keep Donbas, but its loss is inevitable, Russian propaganda claims, also promoting the false idea that, although it was the one that first attacked Ukraine’s infrastructure, Russia is merely defending itself.
Russia’s failure to provide security or reliable partnership has led local leaders to seek alternatives. Moscow is losing the role of default arbiter, while Turkey, the EU, the United States, and increasingly China fill the space.
Maintaining Kyiv's current leadership is unacceptable to Moscow, and a ceasefire agreement allowing Ukraine to rearm poses a threat to Russia, pro-Kremlin media writes.
Moldova's rapprochement with the EU actually means its absorption, according to a false narrative launched by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and taken up by numerous media outlets in Russia and Moldova. Lavrov also repeated falsehoods about the "Moldovan" language and the Romanianization of the Republic of Moldova.
The decline in the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate — which is under Kremlin control — has provoked a furious reaction from Russian propaganda, including the press bureau of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
After months of speculation, Rumen Radev, long viewed as sympathetic to the Kremlin, resigned from office and is widely expected to form a political party of his own. An effort that could either unite Bulgaria’s pro-Russian political forces or fracture them beyond repair.
EU Member States and Ukraine are illegitimate dictatorships, while Russia is compelled to continue the war in self defense, pro Kremlin media writes, citing a pro Russian Irish journalist detained in 2025 by the Romanian border police.
A CIA expert says Russia will win the war in Ukraine and Moscow is only benevolently accepting negotiations, pro-Kremlin press writes, adding that NATO is fully aware this will be the outcome. The entire false narrative is built starting from Kremlin propaganda and the speculations of a pedophile.