Latest news with #Kremlin-aligned
American Military News
5 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Pro-Kremlin Media Hail Los Angeles Unrest As ‘Civil War'
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Kremlin-friendly pundits and programs have been savoring every shot of protesters in Los Angeles this week, some proclaiming that the United States must be in midst of a new 'civil war.' Prominent state-run Rossia-1 TV host Vladimir Solovyov put it bluntly: 'I'm enjoying what I see.' He was not alone. 'Congratulations on the beginning of a civil war in the United States of America,' pro-Kremlin TV personality Sergei Mardan said. 'Unfortunately, I'm joking,' he added mirthlessly. Andrey Cherkasov of RFE/RL's Current Time surveyed the Kremlin-friendly media landscape over the past few days and found it rife with pronouncements of widespread pandemonium in the United States. 'In reality, the unrest in Los Angeles is limited to a small area,' Cherkasov said, 'but the propagandists describe it as a nationwide catastrophe.' The key scenes and images appearing so far are generally those of street demonstrations in the Los Angeles area, which were sparked by recent high-profile arrests of suspected undocumented immigrants by agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Locals have demanded an end to ICE raids and enforcement actions there, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. ICE said it arrested over 40 suspected undocumented migrants at a work site and another 77 people were reportedly arrested by ICE and federal partners across the greater L.A. area on June 6, which appeared to be the focus of the protests. 'This is a city of immigrants,' Bass said. 'This is a city that wants to help you get your legal status. This is a city that embraces everybody that is here, regardless of when you got here or where you came from.' Kremlin-friendly journalists have been airing a far more alarmist viewpoint — but at times are also gleeful. 'I can't help gloating over it all, I admit,' Mardan said on-air on Rossia-1. 'The worse it is for the United States, the better it is for us.' As Cherkasov pointed out, 'Cheering over unrest in the United States is standard fare for the Kremlin and Kremlin-friendly media.' The rhetoric is well-practiced and hardly new, he added. 'These outlets have, after all, come up with surveys that purportedly show America as their country's main adversary for the last 20 years.' Much of the pro-Putin coverage that depicts the Los Angeles area as 'apocalyptic,' Cherkasov said. But he noted that some broadcasters in the United States have been using similar language, at least some of the time. Viewers of CBS's Face the Nation heard reports with a voiceover that said: 'Chaos erupted in the Los Angeles area over the weekend following increased activity across the country by ICE.' But the Kremlin-aligned outlets have shown a passion for the most tabloid elements, Cherkasov said. 'Russian presenters are savoring every detail: flying rocks, smoke, and rubber bullets. Three he cited were succinct: 'Chaos in Los Angeles,' proclaimed Russia-1 TV, 'Fighting, violence, and provocations,' said a TVC host, and 'The tension is rising,' announced another Russia-1 TV presenter. Another usual angle in the Putin-approved media, Cherkasov said, was the invocation of Ukraine's Euromaidan protest movement, sparked a decade ago when pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych blocked progress toward EU membership. 'Just remember the Kyiv Maidan in 2014: It was a war zone,' said a commentator on Russia's Vesti FM. Suggesting deliberate conspiracies behind the Los Angeles demonstrations is also standard pro-Kremlin fare, said Cherkasov. 'The Kremlin has always tried to suggest there's foreign backing behind any civil protest.' So-called color revolutions are also said to be the work of US agents, he said, such as Georgia's 2003 Rose Revolution and Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution. As if on cue, a presenter on Russia's Channel 5 summed up the L.A. protests this way: 'All the elements of a color revolution are there.' Another, a guest on Solovyov's program, Solovyov Live, proclaimed, 'This did not happen spontaneously.' According to Western sources, since June 6, nearly 400 people have been arrested in Los Angeles, including 330 undocumented migrants and 157 people charged with assault and obstruction — including one charged with attempted murder of a police officer.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin calls for major upgrade to Russia's Ground Forces
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has directed his military command to substantially enhance the combat capabilities of Russia's ground forces. Source: Putin's statement at a meeting on the state armaments programme, as reported by Kremlin-aligned Russian Telegram channel Smotri Quote: "The ground forces remain the dominant force in conducting modern military operations of any scale and intensity. It is crucial to enhance their combat capabilities as quickly as possible, to establish a solid foundation for development and to ensure the creation of advanced weapons systems with the highest tactical and technical specifications and modernisation potential." Details: Alongside this, Putin instructed the development of the Russian navy. Background: Putin previously claimed that 95% of Russia's nuclear triad consists of modern weapons, asserting this as the highest figure globally. He directed officials to prioritise nuclear weapons as a cornerstone of Russia's sovereignty in the new state armaments programme, set for 2027–2036. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin claims Russia has world's most advanced nuclear triad
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has once again highlighted his country's nuclear capabilities in the defence sector. Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS, citing Putin's statement at a meeting on the state armaments programme Details: He claimed that the share of modern weapons in Russia's nuclear triad is 95%, asserting this is the highest figure globally. Quote: "The share of modern weapons and equipment in the strategic nuclear forces is now 95%. This is a strong indicator, indeed the highest among all nuclear powers worldwide." More details: Putin instructed officials to prioritise the nuclear triad as a cornerstone of Russia's sovereignty in the new state armaments programme, set for 2027–2036. Quote: "Our task today is to develop a new long-term programme for the entire complex of systems and weapons, including, of course, advanced ones, leveraging the experience of the special military operation [as the Russians call the war against Ukraine – ed.], various regional conflicts and it is vital to consider global trends in the development of military technologies."Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fact check: Is Russia's new fact-checking platform credible?
In early April, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs unveiled the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) — a self-proclaimed international alliance of fact-checkers and media outlets. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The initiative was first presented at the "Dialogue about Fakes 2.0" forum in Moscow in November 2024. At a press briefing following the April announcement, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova framed the GFCN as a counter to what she called the West's "relentless stream of fake stories and disinformation campaigns," accusing Western fact-checkers of engaging in "biased pseudo-fact-checking. " "This global civic initiative," Zakharova said, "will enable us to counter destructive Western actions using our own constructive agenda." But established fact-checking sites such as Facta and Maldita have raised red flags over the GFCN's Kremlin-aligned backers, opaque operations, and overtly one-sided narratives. DW Fact check takes a closer look Who's behind the GFCN? The GFCN was co-founded by TASS, Russia's state-run news agency, and the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization ANO Dialog — both known for their close ties to the Kremlin. TASS was suspended in 2022 by the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) over concerns about its editorial independence. In 2023, the European Union sanctioned ANO Dialog for its role in spreading disinformation and for operating the pro-Kremlin website War on Fakes. Ahead of Russia's 2024 presidential election, the US Treasury also sanctioned the group under Executive Order 14024, targeting individuals and entities linked to the Russian government. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Does the GFCN meet global fact-checking standards? Independent fact-checking relies on transparency, verifiable sourcing, and open methodologies. Leading organisations such as the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) require fact-checks to cite public data and provide transparent methods that others can replicate. DW reviewed several GFCN articles and found consistent problems with sourcing and methodology. In one article titled "The Romanian Elections: How Did the West Win Only on the Second Try?", the author cites the 2024 Eurobarometer, claiming only 22% of Romanians support aid to refugees, only 14% back the EU's actions on Ukraine, and only 13% favor Ukraine's EU candidate status. But these figures are false. DW cross-checked the data and found significantly higher levels of Romanian support for EU policies on Ukraine in the 2024 Eurobarometer contradicting the article's core claim. Another piece alleges that the Soros family was the "shadow organizer" behind the "HANDS OFF!" protests against US President Donald Trump's second administration, which took place across the United States on April 5, 2025. The article argues that, since some organizers had previously received grants from the Open Society Foundations, the Soros family must have orchestrated the protest. That's misleading. The piece focuses narrowly on two groups — MoveOn and Indivisible — and ignores the broader coalition behind the rallies. While both organizations have indeed received funding from Open Society Foundations, the grants supported general programming, not the April 5 protests specifically. Moreover, these groups list dozens of funders, not just the Soros-backed foundation. Receiving support from Open Society Foundations doesn't prove direct involvement on the part of the Soros family, whose philanthropic work has long been targeted by conspiracy theorists. These narratives often paint Soros as a puppet master behind protests, migration, or global unrest — claims that have been widely discredited. Another GFCN article titled "Is ChatGPT Prone to Russian Propaganda?" fails to seriously engage with the question it raises. Instead, it spends most of its word count defending TASS and attacking a Norwegian media outlet that questioned the Russian agency's credibility. The article barely mentions recent investigations — such a report by NewsGuard, which DW covered — which document Russian attempts to manipulate generative AI platforms. The piece's only conclusion appears in the final paragraph, which vaguely states: "It is incorrect to give a chatbot human qualities and accuse it of 'preferring' one of the sources to the others." GFCN: Who is writing these stories? One contributor to the GFCN is Sonja van den Ende, a Dutch journalist living in Russia who has been embedded with Russian troops in Ukraine. Some Dutch media have described her as a conspiracy theorist. On X, she recently posted: "Germany is the country of knife pullers, used to be a country of beer and bratwurst, now asylum seekers, i.e. radicalised rebels from Syria, Iraq etc." Other GFCN contributors include Tim Anderson, director of the Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies. He has called the massacre of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha a "scam" and falsely claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine did not involve the targeting of civilian infrastructure. A familiar Russian playbook: mimic and confuse Observers say the GFCN's name — just one letter removed from the IFCN — is no accident. The International Fact-Checking Network, founded in 2015 by the Poynter Institute, is a respected consortium of more than 150 independent fact-checkers worldwide. It trains journalists, enforces professional standards, and certifies outlets based on transparency and editorial independence. The GFCN, on the other hand, appears to follow a long-standing tactic of the Russian state: imitating legitimate institutions to blur the line between journalism and propaganda. "We do not consider their activities to fall within the professional fact-checking ecosystem," IFCN director Angie Drobnic Holan told DW, citing Russia's consistent suppression of independent journalism. "Professional fact-checking requires the ability to independently verify claims across the political spectrum," she said. "Journalists must be free to publish findings that contradict the government. We are highly dubious that this effort allows for that." Tommaso Canetta, a policy officer with the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), called the GFCN a classic case of political appropriation. "This is a tactic we've seen many times; co-opting terms with credibility, like 'fact-checking,' and stripping them of meaning," he explained. "Political actors often label partisan narratives as 'fact checks' when they clearly are not." He stressed that affiliations with networks like the IFCN or the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) help distinguish legitimate outlets from those engaged in manipulation. "Without such standards, we end up with initiatives — like this one from Russia — that pollute the term and muddy the waters."
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fact check: How credible is Russian Fact-check Site GFCN?
Representative Image (AI-generated) In early April, Russia's ministry of foreign affairs unveiled the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) — a self-proclaimed international alliance of fact-checkers and media outlets. The initiative was first presented at the "Dialogue about Fakes 2.0" forum in Moscow in November 2024. At a press briefing following the April announcement, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova framed the GFCN as a counter to what she called the West's "relentless stream of fake stories and disinformation campaigns," accusing western fact-checkers of engaging in "biased pseudo-fact-checking. " "This global civic initiative," Zakharova said, "will enable us to counter destructive Western actions using our own constructive agenda." But established fact-checking sites such as Facta and Maldita have raised red flags over the GFCN's Kremlin-aligned backers, opaque operations, and overtly one-sided narratives. DW Fact check takes a closer look. Who's behind the GFCN? The GFCN was co-founded by TASS, Russia's state-run news agency, and the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization ANO Dialog — both known for their close ties to the Kremlin. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo TASS was suspended in 2022 by the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) over concerns about its editorial independence. In 2023, the European Union sanctioned ANO Dialog for its role in spreading disinformation and for operating the pro-Kremlin website War on Fakes. Ahead of Russia's 2024 presidential election, the US Treasury also sanctioned the group under Executive Order 14024, targeting individuals and entities linked to the Russian government. Does the GFCN meet global fact-checking standards ? Independent fact-checking relies on transparency, verifiable sourcing, and open methodologies. Leading organizations such as the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) require fact-checks to cite public data and provide transparent methods that others can replicate. DW reviewed several GFCN articles and found consistent problems with sourcing and methodology. In one article titled "The Romanian Elections: How Did the West Win Only on the Second Try?", the author cites the 2024 Eurobarometer, claiming only 22 per cent of Romanians support aid to refugees, only 14 per cent back the EU's actions on Ukraine, and only 13% favor Ukraine's EU candidate status. But these figures are false. DW cross-checked the data and found significantly higher levels of Romanian support for EU policies on Ukraine in the 2024 Eurobarometer, contradicting the article's core claim. Another piece alleges that the Soros family was the "shadow organizer" behind the "HANDS OFF!" protests against US President Donald Trump's second administration, which took place across the United States on April 5, 2025. The article argues that, since some organizers had previously received grants from the Open Society Foundations, the Soros family must have orchestrated the protest. That's misleading. The piece focuses narrowly on two groups — MoveOn and Indivisible — and ignores the broader coalition behind the rallies. While both organizations have indeed received funding from Open Society Foundations, the grants supported general programming, not the April 5 protests specifically. Moreover, these groups list dozens of funders, not just the Soros-backed foundation. Receiving support from Open Society Foundations doesn't prove direct involvement on the part of the Soros family, whose philanthropic work has long been targeted by conspiracy theorists. These narratives often paint Soros as a puppet master behind protests, migration, or global unrest — claims that have been widely discredited. Another GFCN article titled "Is ChatGPT Prone to Russian Propaganda?" fails to seriously engage with the question it raises. Instead, it spends most of its word count defending TASS and attacking a Norwegian media outlet that questioned the Russian agency's credibility. The article barely mentions recent investigations — such a report by NewsGuard, which DW covered — which document Russian attempts to manipulate generative AI platforms. The piece's only conclusion appears in the final paragraph, which vaguely states: "It is incorrect to give a chatbot human qualities and accuse it of 'preferring' one of the sources to the others." GFCN: Who is writing these stories? One contributor to the GFCN is Sonja van den Ende, a Dutch journalist living in Russia who has been embedded with Russian troops in Ukraine. Some Dutch media have described her as a conspiracy theorist. On X, she recently posted: "Germany is the country of knife pullers, used to be a country of beer and bratwurst, now asylum seekers, i.e. radicalized rebels from Syria, Iraq etc." Other GFCN contributors include Tim Anderson, director of the Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies. He has called the massacre of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha a "scam" and falsely claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine did not involve the targeting of civilian infrastructure. A familiar Russian playbook: mimic and confuse: Observers say the GFCN's name — just one letter removed from the IFCN — is no accident. The International Fact-Checking Network, founded in 2015 by the Poynter Institute, is a respected consortium of more than 150 independent fact-checkers worldwide. It trains journalists, enforces professional standards, and certifies outlets based on transparency and editorial independence. The GFCN, on the other hand, appears to follow a long-standing tactic of the Russian state: imitating legitimate institutions to blur the line between journalism and propaganda. "We do not consider their activities to fall within the professional fact-checking ecosystem," IFCN director Angie Drobnic Holan told DW, citing Russia's consistent suppression of independent journalism. "Professional fact-checking requires the ability to independently verify claims across the political spectrum," she said. "Journalists must be free to publish findings that contradict the government. We are highly dubious that this effort allows for that." Tommaso Canetta, a policy officer with the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), called the GFCN a classic case of political appropriation. "This is a tactic we've seen many times; co-opting terms with credibility, like 'fact-checking,' and stripping them of meaning," he explained. "Political actors often label partisan narratives as 'fact checks' when they clearly are not." He stressed that affiliations with networks like the IFCN or the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) help distinguish legitimate outlets from those engaged in manipulation. "Without such standards, we end up with initiatives — like this one from Russia — that pollute the term and muddy the waters."
