Report
War in Ukraine: these Slovaks receptive to pro-Russian conspiracy theories
Audio 01:16
Russian President Vladimir Putin during a television appearance (illustration image).
AP - Michael Probst
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The momentum of solidarity with refugees continues in the border region of Ukraine, in the east of the country.
But the relays of Kremlin propaganda by part of the political class has consequences.
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With our special correspondent in Košice
,
Alexis Bédu
In a video that has gone viral on social media, a man explains in Slovak that the real reason for the war in Ukraine is the financial bankruptcy of the United States.
This is one example among many of the many conspiracy theories widely followed in Slovakia.
“
There is a large number of people who are already jealous of the communist period.
Compared to Russian propaganda, this idea that NATO and the United States are responsible for this attack is there, unfortunately
,” explains Martin Skara, a philosopher in Košice
,
in the east of the country.
►
To read also: Invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the crucial role of Russian disinformation
According to a recent poll, 44% of the population considers that the United States and NATO are responsible for the situation.
The authorities are now trying to combat this propaganda orchestrated by the Kremlin, explains Katalina Kukutchkova, a professor at the University of Kosice.
“
With the Covid, I think the authorities reacted too late and therefore the result was terrible, we had a very high mortality during the second wave.
Now, with the first disinformation about the war in Ukraine, the police have started to identify these messages and sources that are false
”.
Some voices of the opposition are surfing on this pro-Russian wave.
Two deputies of the neo-fascist party “Our Slovakia” recently traveled to the Ukrainian border with the aim of proving that only black people came to seek refuge in the country.
►
Read also: Deepfakes on the disinformation front in the war in Ukraine
... © FMM Graphic Studio
Your questions about the war in Ukraine © RFI
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