After Georgian media outlets misinterpreted the remarks made by former NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Russian news agency RIA Novosti falsified Rasmussen’s quotes. According to the article released by RIA Novosti on September 10, Rasmussen offers Georgia to join NATO without Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia. The quotes do not include the fragment, where the former NATO Secretary General talks about applying Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. On the same day, the article was reposted by Sputnik-Abkhazia.
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Edited quote by Ria Novosti |
Rasmussen’s quote |
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“Я считаю, что вы должны начать дискуссии в связи с тем, будет ли для вас приемлемо стать членом НАТО без Абхазии и Южной Осетии. Это решение за Грузией, после чего о решении надо уведомить НАТО.” |
”I think you have to discuss internally in Georgia would you in that case be willing to accept, that Article 5 will only cover the territory that is actually controlled by the Georgian government.” |
Besides pro-Kremlin sources, manipulative interpretations were made by Georgian media and ultra-nationalist Facebook pages.
| Ria Novosti |  |
| Sputnik-Abkhazia |  |
| Obiektivi |  |
| KolkhetiTV |  |
| Mamuka Razmadze |  |
| Azimuti |  |
| Kardhu |  |
| Antiliberal Club |  |
| Ritorika |  |
| Stalin |  |
| Nino Burjanadze |  |
| Tristan Tsitelashvili |  |
Speaking at the 5th Tbilisi International Conference co-organized by McCain Institute and Economic Police Research Center on September 10, former NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke about Georgia’s accession to NATO. He said that if one day Georgia is considered ready to join the alliance, the country will have “to discuss internally would it in that case be willing to accept that Article 5 will only cover the territory that is actually controlled by the Georgian government.”
Following the Tbilisi conference, Interpressnews released Rasmussen’s comments to the news agency, where he explains that Georgia’s accession to NATO without its occupied regions means that Article 5 will cover Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region only after Georgia’s territorial integrity is restored.
Manipulative interpretation of the issue forms an impression as if Georgia should give up its occupied regions in exchange for joining NATO.
publication released by the Myth Detector on this topic is provided below:
