russian fis statement on «elections» as moscow’s diversionary tactic
russia, through its foreign intelligence service, has launched a new wave of propaganda aimed at creating an illusion of legitimacy around the September «elections» to the state duma.
The fis statement claims that the EU, PACE and Western intelligence services are allegedly preparing «large-scale destabilisation», cyberattacks and «provocations», and have supposedly «instructed» the russian opposition to spread claims about the illegality of the vote.
In reality, this is a crude manipulation and distortion of the facts. Through such claims about fabricated threats, russia is trying to divert attention from the illegality of voting in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the absence of any democratic procedures.
In addition, the «besieged fortress» rhetoric is intended for domestic audiences in russia. It allows the kremlin to label any criticism of the «elections» as «working for foreign intelligence services».
It is important to understand that the real reason these «elections» will not be recognised by the civilised world is not a «Brussels conspiracy», as russian propaganda claims, but russia’s direct violation of the UN Charter and international law through its intention to hold a vote in occupied territory.
