On October 28, 2019, a Facebook page Stalin published a 2018 article by Georgia and the World, titled “United States will Attack the Georgian Church after the Ukrainian”. The article mentions – “after the fall of Communism, there is only one enemy of democracy (in other versions – the United States) left – Orthodox Christianity”. The statement, according to the author, was made by an American diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski. On October 29, the host of TV Obiektivi, Valeri Kvaratskhelia, also noted that Brzezinski’s book “The Grand Chessboard” portrays Orthodox Christianity as the primary enemy of the United States after the fall of Communism.
GNews, disseminated by Geworld, Stalin, and Obiektivi TV as if Zbigniew Brzezinski declared Orthodox Christianity as the enemy of democracy, are fake. The fake news about Zbigniew Brzezinski have been systematically disseminated in the Russian media for years.
- Brzezinski’s quote is fake
The aforementioned statement cannot be found in Zbigniew Brzezinski’s book “The Grand Chessboard”. The author used Orthodoxy/Orthodox Christianity five times, but not in the form or context, indicated by the aforementioned sources. On the one hand, Brzezinski writes that Communism betrayed the Russian Orthodoxy, while, on the other hand, he talks about the dogmatic, orthodox doctrine of the Soviet Union.
Moreover, according to EU vs Disinfo, there is no evidence of Brzezinski making such a statement publicly. Sources include only one case when he was asked, who was the #1 enemy of the United States, however, Brzezinski responded that the United States does not have a #1 enemy.
Russian media outlets often cite Brzezinski with the aim of disseminating disinformation and, to this end, publish different conspiracy theories and fake news. Brzezinski was attributed the statement about the United States’ military preparations against Russia. Another conspiracy theory underlined Brzezinski’s post as the National Security Advisor of the United States and his role in the United States’ strategy aiming at dividing Russia into many small countries. According to fake reports in the Russian media, he has also stated that the United States planned a coup d’état in Turkey.
- Who disseminated the fake quote in the Russian media?
Most often, it is the Russian media outlets who repeatedly cite the fake quote of Brzezinski. In 2006 – 2019, the following media outlets published articles based on the aforementioned fake quote: Общенациональный Русский Журнал, subscribe.ru, proza.ru, Газета ‘глас православного народа,’ Издательство Русская Идея.
- Brzezinski’s another fake quote.
Zbigniew Brzezinski had become the target of the pro-Kremlin media earlier, as well, through another fake quote, which reads – “the 21st century will be built at the expense of Russia, on the ruins of Russia, and against Russia”.
Brzezinski’s colleagues, in their comment with the Polygraph, state that the dissemination of fake statements is a part of Russian propaganda.
Myth Detector Lab
