Serbia
Sunday 24 January 2021
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“In Serbia, the #Covid19 curfew means we can’t walk our dogs for up to 14 hours at a time. It causes so much unnecessary suffering.”
On March 28, the Serbian government revoked its decision to rule to let people take pets out for a 20-minute evening walk during overnight coronavirus curfew hours. -
We fact check six false or misleading claims by made by the Russian Foreign Ministry in its annual review of the Kremlin’s policy initiatives.
Each year, the Russian Foreign Ministry issues an annual review. Polygraph.info fact-checks six of the false or misleading claims made about cybersecurity, Syria, the United States, Latin America and the INF treaty. -
"Kyiv blamed the disaster on the militias, who said they did not have the means to shoot down an aircraft at such an altitude."
Russian-led militias not only posted photos of a Buk SAM system in their possession, but also bragged about shooting down MH17, which they initially thought was a Ukrainian military plane. -
“Quasi-state entity in Kosovo is a failure. Growing number of countries, which revoked recognition of its ‘independence’ confirms it.”
The newest European state has a permanent population that overwhelmingly supports independence, a defined territory, a government and its own constitution, and has established relations with 115 states. The U.S. is taking decisive steps to secure Kosovo’s international integration. -
“The persecution of the SPC [Serbian Orthodox Church] in North Macedonia, as well as the latest heightened tensions and pressure on the SPC diocese in Montenegro can be interpreted as part of the wider strategy of the West to counter Orthodoxy.”
NATO is no enemy of Orthodoxy as several NATO member states are predominantly Christian Orthodox. The Orthodox churches of Montenegro and North Macedonia have been seeking independence even before the break up of Yugoslavia. -
“The constant pressure of the West on Serbia, exerted through the European Union, is evident, …while the U.S. and its allies are encouraging Kosovo to maintain tensions in the region.”
The Russian ambassador’s reinforces Belgrade’s position that Serbia needs “space” to make its own decisions regarding its European integration and relations with Kosovo. This refrain often serves as Belgrade’s excuse for stalling EU-brokered negotiations while pursuing the partition of Kosovo. -
“Kosovo remains the main source of instability and potential conflict in the region. This territory is practically uncontrollable. It is not only a source of instability, but also a potentially dangerous, uncontrolled territory in the center of Europe.”
While Kosovo is building a democratic society based on the rule of law, corruption and crime are widespread its Serb minority-run north that is strongly supported by Belgrade and Moscow. -
“When Montenegro and Macedonia were out of the blue dragged into NATO, the situation with Macedonia’s name was used in a brazen manner. They held a referendum organized in gross violation of the constitution, which in Macedonia requires a referendum to put forward only one question, but they put forward three: do you want to be a member of the European Union, a member of NATO, and are you ready to change the name of the country for that. In general, a fraudulent question, of course.”
The referendum on North Macedonia’s name was called according to the country's constitution. Candidates for NATO membership must apply to join the Alliance, not the other way round. Macedonia had met the criteria for NATO membership ten years before receiving an invitation. -
“The Autonomous Province of Kosovo was forcibly separated from the rest of the country under the propagandistic pretext of thwarting the allegedly unfolding ‘humanitarian disaster.' In reality NATO became a trigger for a real human tragedy, a smokescreen hiding the anti-Serb ethnic cleansing that caused over 200,000 non-Albanians to leave their homes.”
FalseNATO launched its air campaign against Yugoslavia to stop ethnic cleansing of Kosovo AlbaniansRussia’s Foreign Ministry flips the facts about NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. Serbian security forces were killing and expelling Kosovo Albanian civilians before the start of Operation Allied Force. The ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Albanians accelerated during the NATO air strikes. -
“These [Freedom House] reports are politically motivated and are used as an additional element of pressure on the country … they made a bogeyman out of Russia and constantly throw in negative information.”
Russian officials label reports by independent watchdog groups as politically motivated. But Freedom House’s report finds a steady decline in freedom around the world over the last 13 years, and raises the alarm particularly about threats to democracy in the United States. -
“Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov blasted the US senators’ appeal not to support Prokopchuk as ‘intervention in the voting process’ and 'an attempt to exert pressure on Interpol.'”
Members of the U.S. Congress belong to one of the three branches of the American government. Their opinions are a normal part of the democratic process, and do not constitute interference -- and certainly not intervention -- in INTERPOL’s selection of a new president. -
“We love and are proud of President Vladimir Putin, because he is a friend of Palestine and not only Palestine, but all the people who are seeking freedom. President Putin succeeded in restoring Russia’s authority in the international arena and forced all to respect Russia.”
Independent polls show trust and respect for Russia and its president has significantly decreased globally. Under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, Russia has suppressed insurgencies in Chechnya and in Syria. Moscow has lost its membership or voting privileges in multiple international organizations.