BTRP Articles

Aug. 14, 2024

How the U.S. Can Counter Disinformation From Russia and China

Disinformation campaigns can be a powerful tool to shape beliefs on matters of great geopolitical importance. Bad actors can deploy them against rivals to sow costly discord, create political uncertainty, and deepen divides within a community. Monitoring and “pre-bunking” even the most obscure claims is important because, if left unaddressed, their damage can be hard to undo, and in some cases, those false narratives can presage a real-life attack.

March 12, 2024

The Kremlin’s Efforts to Spread Deadly Disinformation in Africa

In addition to its own staff, African Initiative recruits African journalists, bloggers, and members of local publics to support and amplify the organization’s work of bolstering Russia’s image and denigrating that of other countries. One of African Initiative’s first major campaigns is to target U.S. and Western health initiatives in Africa with dangerous health-related disinformation. The campaign seeks to undermine U.S.-funded public health projects across Africa beginning with disinformation regarding an outbreak of a mosquito-borne viral disease. From there, conspiracies will be spread about Western pharmaceutical corporations, health-focused philanthropic efforts, and the spread of disease in West and East Africa.

March 8, 2024

Disarming Disinformation: Our Shared Responsibility

“There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders – leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation — to defend the truth and to defeat the lies.” JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Dec. 2, 2022

Ukraine Symposium – Russia’s Allegations of U.S. Biological Warfare in Ukraine – Part I

During its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has accused the United States and Ukraine of collaborating to develop biological weapons in violation of international law. Russia’s claims led to a “formal consultative meeting” in Geneva pursuant to Article V of the Biological Weapons Convention.

Sept. 13, 2022

Outcomes of Biological Weapons Convention 2022 Consultative Meeting: No Countries Support Russia’s False Allegations

Late last week, the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) completed a Formal Consultative Meeting of BWC States Parties. This Formal Consultative Meeting mechanism, which has only been used once before in the history of the BWC, was invoked on June 29, 2022, through Russia’s triggering of BWC Article V. This invocation served as a further escalation and platform for the Russian Federation’s continued promotion of false allegations of U.S.-backed biological weapons laboratories located in countries like Ukraine. These allegations have been repeatedly refuted by the targeted nations and even international bodies like the United Nations.

July 9, 2022

Ex-Soviet Bioweapons Labs in Georgia, Armenia, and Elsewhere Now Fighting the Coronavirus Targeted by a Russian Disinformation Campaign Over U.S. Support

Ex-Soviet Bioweapons Labs in Georgia, Armenia, and Elsewhere Now Fighting the Coronavirus Targeted by a Russian Disinformation Campaign Over U.S. Support by Paul Stronski with foreignpolicy.com.

April 10, 2022

Dr. Pope Interviewed for CBC News: The National

Dr. Robert Pope is interviewed by CBC News in an investigative report that exposes how a QAnon conspiracy theory about U.S.-funded 'Biolabs' in Ukraine morphed into mainstream disinformation.

March 15, 2022

Ukraine war: Fact-checking Russia's biological weapons claims

Russia has claimed without any evidence that biological weapons are being developed in laboratories in Ukraine with support from the United States. It says material is being destroyed to conceal the country's weapons programme, but the US says this is "total nonsense" and that Russia is inventing false narratives to justify its actions in Ukraine.

July 6, 2020

The secret labs conspiracy: a converging narrative

Some observers have recently argued about a convergence of narratives between pro-Kremlin and Chinese disinformation networks. We have taken a closer look at the “clandestine US biolabs” conspiracy theory.

May 18, 2020

Secret Labs and George Soros: COVID-19 Disinformation in the EU Eastern Partnership Countries

As COVID-19 spread across the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, conspiracy theories, misleading information and disinformation followed in its wake. For pro-Kremlin media, the pandemic offers new opportunities to build on existing disinformation narratives and spin new ones.