Baltic States have become colonies of the USA, acting only on Washington’s orders, according to Russian propaganda in Romania.
NEWS: Latvia suspends the training of Ukrainian physicians due to Trump's decree on freezing all aid to foreign countries. There’s a thought that crosses my mind right now, which best characterizes this situation. Now I remember! Integrity. A question for the Latvian regime: did you gain your independence in order to fall into slavery?, the Russian diplomat noted. Earlier, Vladimir Olenchenko, an expert at the Center for European Studies of IMEMO RAS, spoke about growing Russophobia in Baltic States and the loss of independence by the authorities in the region. [...] Vladimir Olenchenko noted that Baltic authorities do not have the support of society. The current authorities in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have completely lost their independence and are currently copying all the statements, slogans and ideas originating either in Great Britain or in the United States of America, the expert further pointed out.
NARRATIVE: The Baltic States have lost their independence, becoming mere colonies of the USA.
The training program was merely limited, not suspended
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: Latvia has not suspended the training program addressing Ukrainian physicians, which started in the fall of 2022, the latest example used by Russian propaganda to justify the narrative according to which most Eastern European states, with the exception of those friendly to Moscow, have lost their independence and sovereignty. In fact, as a result of the U.S. decision to freeze funding for various foreign aid programs, the Vaivari National Rehabilitation Center, where the program is being carried out, was forced to temporarily limit the training of Ukrainian healthcare professionals. So far, nearly 200 Ukrainian health professionals have improved their education as part of the project, which is indeed largely funded by the United States. Furthermore, the leadership of the Latvian medical unit did not hide the fact that the suspension of the U.S. foreign assistance program could affect both the sustainability of existing programs and long-term goals.
At the same time, however, the Vaivari center pledged to find a way to continue the project, even without American funding. At the same time, representatives of the Center said they would continue to cooperate with Ukrainian counterparts on other projects. For example, in the medical center in Jurmala, a small town on the outskirts of Riga, the Latvian government has been funding medical care addressing wounded Ukrainian soldiers since 2014.
The narrative under analysis falls within the meta-narrative that claims that Eastern European states are, in fact, colonies of the West, having completely lost their sovereignty and independence. The thesis is intensively promoted by Russian and pro-Russian propaganda and is a direct continuation of the theses dating back to the Cold War period, which described the West as predatory and manipulative. In fact, although certain decisions of the governments in these states align with similar ones promoted by the West, they do not reflect a status of submission to the West. Such decisions are merely an expression of adherence to shared values, such as democracy, freedom of expression, observance of human rights, etc.
Moscow deplores the fate of its former colonies
BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of the war, the Kremlin has posed as a victim of NATO and the Western community. On a periodic basis, it has promoted false narratives suggesting that the states of Eastern Europe will share a similar fate in the near future. In fact, these narratives further reinforce the main theses that accompany Russia’s aggressive policies in the region, by means of which Moscow positions itself as a “provider of security and stability”. In fact, the current international status of the three Baltic States, as members of the EU and NATO, is one that guarantees their independence and security, unlike the 1944-1991 period, when they were integrated into the USSR, against their will.
The website În Prima Linie (On the frontline) is managed by Georgiana Arsene, a former journalist at the Kremlin’s official propaganda publication, Sputnik, who made a name for herself over the years for promoting Russian narratives and interviews with the former Russian ambassador to Bucharest, Valery Kuzmin. In order to add increased visibility for its support for Vladimir Putin, the website has uses as its motto a quote from the Russian president, and its Facebook page has an image of him as its cover photo.
A few months after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Arsene was awarded a scholarship to study Russian from the Moscow State Linguistic University. Upon her return home, her website became one of the main channels of Russian propaganda, being constantly included in Facebook posts by the Russian Embassy.
PURPOSE: To promote anti-Western, sovereignist, and at the same time pro-Russian rhetoric, to stir and amplify social unrest.
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