Navalny was killed by the West, which betrayed itself by publicly announcing his death before it was ever medically attested, according to false narratives circulated in Romania.
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A scandal regarding an icon depicting Stalin in Tbilis’s main cathedral brought into spotlight efforts by pro-Russians and Russian propaganda to revive the cult of the former dictator. Following protests against the icon, the ruling Georgian Dream, which claims to be committed to Euro-Atlantic integration, unveiled Russian-inspired plans to criminalize religious insults.
Putin has so far avoided a confrontation with the women who demand the return of servicemen from the front in Ukraine. History shows that Russian women are capable of causing trouble for authoritarian regimes.
"The Romanian language will replace the Russian language in Ukraine" writes the Russian press, basing its false claim on a Veridica article about a debate regarding the celebration of the Romanian language.
Vladimir Putin recycled a number of Russian propaganda narratives to justify the invasion of Ukraine and portray Russia as a victim of Western aggression. The false narratives were also doubled by blatant lies, such as the one that Russia did not threaten to use its nuclear weapons, or the promotion of revisionist theses, according to which Romania, Poland, Hungary (and Russia) have the right to take back territories from Ukraine.
Recent decisions show that Hungary's EU and NATO partners are fed up with Budapest’s boycott of common policies, anti-democratic drifts and its content playing into Russia’s hands. Although he claims that Russia is a viable alternative to the West, Vladimir Putin has few options to help his friend, Viktor Orban.
Hackers stole data from the Romanian Parliament, demanding money for ransom. Such ransomware attacks are launched by both criminals and state actors.
The earthquake added to the pain of the Syrian people, who had already suffered from over a decade-long war, causing humanitarian crisis and economic collapse.
Warnings about a possible Russian attack against NATO have increased lately. Is the threat imminent, or is it just being used to increase readiness?
Communist-era monuments in Bulgaria were a point of fiery debates. Chaotic plans for their removal were not followed by a vision for the future.
A number of countries may boycott the coming Paris Olympics over the IOC’s decision to let Russian athletes compete. Latvia is one of those countries, but not all Latvians – athletes and fans alike – would support such of decision.
In the Baltic countries, parties traditionally defending the interests of the Russian-speaking minority are suffering losses as the war has alienated some of their voters.
“All that was and is the property of the Romanian nation must be returned within the borders of the same state”, said Claudiu Târziu, the chairman of AUR’s National Council. To Russian propaganda, Târziu’s statement is solid gold.
The leader of a far-right party in Hungary has laid claim to Transcarpathia, shortly after the AUR party in Romania lodged a similar claim to Northern Bukovina. The thesis is typical of Russian propaganda.
The Russian State Duma is planning to seize the assets of people distributing “war-related fake news”. The new law is in fact meant to silence anyone criticizing Putin’s regime.
The government says that the referendum on EU accession will clearly show the population's options. However, some see the public consultation set for fall as an electoral maneuver that could backfire against its initiators.
The consolidation of Turkey’s presidential regime, to the detriment of the rule of law and in defiance of Western partners, will generate instability in the Black Sea region and trigger a wave of migrants towards the EU.
Extreme weather phenomena and disinformation are considered by experts to be among the greatest risks facing humanity in the medium and short term. There are also concerns about the risk of societal polarization and cyber security, according to the report on global risks drawn up by the World Economic Forum in Davos (WEF).
Polish conservatives are seething after losing control over public media and two PiS MPs were arrested. Is it the end of Kaczyński-style politics, or the beginning of a lasting political war?
The US and the UK have bombed targets in Yemen. The operation, aimed at deterring further attacks by the Houthi militia in the Red Sea, could cause an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
2023 showed how serious the climate change issue really is. Although efforts have been made to switch to green energies and reduce emissions, the crisis is far from being resolved.
In 2023, Moscow used fake narratives to justify its aggression in Ukraine. In addition, NATO, the EU and the United States continued to be Russian propaganda targets.
2023 marked Bulgaria's exit from political crisis with the formation of a pro-Western government. On the other hand, he continued pro-Russian narratives continued to be promoted.
The narratives were launched / amplified by Moscow and pro-Russians, and the theses included Moldova’s involvement in the war in Ukraine, an attack on Transnistria and EU rapprochement.
The colonization of Romania, the war in Ukraine, conspiracy theories related to the "sanitary dictatorship" and climate change have been the favorite topics for most of the year’s false narratives.
The European Council's decision to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia indicates Brussels' desire to play a more active role in foreign policy. There are several reasons for this.
The recent scandal at the OpenAI company has refueled fears about a potential apocalypse triggered by computers, although for the time being the threat seems anchored in the distant future.
Finland closed its land border with Russia due to a hybrid threat, and Estonia may follow suit, although it has not done so yet.
The struggles of the Polish conservatives to retain power as much as possible after losing the elections, but also the process of taking over the government by pro-Europeans, were enjoyed as a public spectacle.
The European Council has greenlit EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova despite Hungary’s opposition. Veridica has examined Budapest’s counterarguments and the way the announcement was received in Kyiv and Chișinău.
A Russian-inspired sovereigntist law proposed by Viktor Orban's party targets the press, civil society and the opposition. In parallel, FIDESZ promotes anti-EU messages in the election campaign.
The Metropolitan Church of Moldova has criticized the Moscow Patriarchate, as Moldovan priests are calling for the annexation of their Church to the Romanian Patriarchate. The latest developments are tied to the Russian Patriarch’s support for the war in Ukraine.
