{"id":181390,"date":"2022-04-06T10:35:02","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T08:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.idmo.it\/?p=181390"},"modified":"2024-04-18T12:05:56","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T10:05:56","slug":"ukrainian-refugees-disinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/2022\/04\/06\/ukrainian-refugees-disinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainian refugees and disinformation: situation in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The problem of <a aria-label=\"undefined (apri in una nuova scheda)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/2022\/04\/05\/bucha-massacre\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disinformation<\/a> about the situation of ukrainian refugees and the host countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania \u2013 summary report. <strong>Disinformation about refugees in Poland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Polish social media, false messages about refugees from Ukraine can be divided into several dominant trends:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The privileges of refugees over the Polish citizens (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">link<\/a>)<\/li><li>Aggressive refugee behavior and crime on the rise (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/przemysl-situation-of-refugees-at-the-border-explained\/\">link<\/a>)<\/li><li>Non-Ukrainians who cross the Polish border (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/what-do-we-know-about-refugee-situation-on-the-polish-ukrainian-border\/\">link<\/a>)<\/li><li>Poland discriminates against black refugees (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/what-do-we-know-about-refugee-situation-on-the-polish-ukrainian-border\/\">link<\/a>)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is the author of the disinformation messages?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several groups are responsible for creating and disseminating false information about refugees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Anonymous Twitter accounts<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 content about dangerous refugees and posts discriminating against Ukrainians (or against Poles) often comes from unverified Twitter profiles. Some of them were most likely created to intentionally promote disinformation. Others were known before, for instance for posting&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/ivG2Z\">anti -vaccine<\/a><\/li><li><strong>Websites known for duplicating pseudo-scientific publications<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 The blog of the<a href=\"https:\/\/legaartis.pl\/blog\/\">&nbsp;LEGA ARTIS Law Firm stands out among them<\/a>. Since the beginning of the refugee crisis related to the war in Ukraine, there have been several dozen articles on the website that have described the situation on the border or the aid provided by the Polish state in a&nbsp;negative light. Among them, we can distinguish narratives, for example, convincing that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/BIN7s\">a&nbsp;refugee will earn twice as much as a&nbsp;Pole by working less<\/a>, promoting a&nbsp;message that Poles&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/1NloN\">are going to lose their homes<\/a>, or using<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/CBdRq\">&nbsp;the rhetoric of invasion<\/a>&nbsp;to describe the refugee crisis as a&nbsp;catastrophe for Polish people.<\/li><li><strong>Niche Facebook Profiles<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Disinformation about refugees is also promoted by social media accounts with a&nbsp;relatively small reach, heavily focused on publishing sensationalistic and conspiratorial content. Among them, for example, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/andrzej.bieganskii.3?__cft__%255B0%255D=AZUl79SRUGXFWbxd5mVK5nfYb-4VZoXD36774PwH59GSjwAORVp0Z4HUqijnvWlpCblREiPrc7AHgIHuJajTlvzb4XaFomVlkuT67xgtBDHyvc4AtzLqVTjIYYxtqzrXokg&amp;__tn__=-UC,P-R\">Foliarz Narodowy profile<\/a>&nbsp;(which published entries on the<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/8kg4d\">&nbsp;discrimination of Poles<\/a>&nbsp;or propagated theories about the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/mbBhA\">presence of dark-skinned people<\/a>&nbsp;at the border) and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/zdp.morkisz\/?__cft__%255B0%255D=AZWJfpVs7qHW75tEYz9wannHfjaJC4ZYrenuPCPeju-wTTzdQEGqg5a9qqtEvoHav1yuXEBvtdHT_qfuz9Gj0TTjc7H_atAU1cuXWnhrrglBLoKWUSA2dYP97CS02mDQ_POG_vucrezZL7zNIFUhbK52&amp;__tn__=-UC,P-R\">Bogdan Morkisz<\/a>&nbsp;(also content about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/iADUq\">favoring refugees<\/a>&nbsp;or calling refugees<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/V5iw9\">&nbsp;displaced<\/a>&nbsp;on purpose by the Polish government).<\/li><li><strong>Far-right politicians<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 In this case, it is more about passing on unverified information rather than creating disinformation content. Nevertheless, by using their social media accounts, some politicians contribute to extending the reach of fake news. The Konfederacja party is the most prominent formation in the context of disinformation. Among its deputies, false reports about refugees were promoted by parliamentarians, such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KonradBerkowicz\">Konrad Berkowicz<\/a>&nbsp;(fake news about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/T3jzk\">violence in Przemy\u015bl<\/a>) and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GrzegorzBraun_\">Grzegorz Braun<\/a>&nbsp;(about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/D8rzn\">discrimination against Poles<\/a>).<\/li><li><strong>Fake profiles<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 At one point on the Polish Internet, there was a&nbsp;lot of noise about city news accounts&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/ruskie-trolle-w-twoim-miescie-jak-dziala-skoordynowana-dezinformacja\/\">on Instagram<\/a>, which for years prior to the war published mainly local content. This type of account was run for cities such as Krak\u00f3w, Lublin and Rzesz\u00f3w. At some point, instead of typical local stories and information, they started to feature false content about refugees and promoting disinformation, e.g. about an increase in crime. An analysis&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/ruskie-trolle-w-twoim-miescie-jak-dziala-skoordynowana-dezinformacja\/\">of the sources<\/a>&nbsp;revealed that these accounts were set up by e-mail addresses with a&nbsp;Russian domain. This example helps to realize that in many places on the Internet, there could be accounts for years building their credibility and reach in order to become a&nbsp;source of deliberate disinformation at just the right moment.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Potential goals of anti-refugee disinformation<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Radicalization of attitudes towards refugees from Ukraine<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Deliberate actions aimed primarily at changing the attitude of Poles helping refugees are primarily the domain of anonymous Twitter accounts. In their case, it is difficult to talk about outside motivations, such as capitalizing or simply earning money from advertising. The fact that many relatively low-reach profiles promote inaccurate news about refugees at the same time may indicate that this is only a&nbsp;small part of a&nbsp;meticulously planned campaign.<\/li><li><strong>Political capital<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Promoting anti-refugee narratives can also serve to increase support for far-right political parties. While the mainstream focuses on organizing aid, formations that are on the sidelines of the debate can capitalize on the social discontent in some circles to increase their voter numbers.<\/li><li><strong>Extending Reach<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 The sensationalistic nature of disinformation content, especially that promoting narratives of an increase in crime, may have been used by some profiles to expand their reach. In this way, they will be able to reach a&nbsp;greater number of recipients in the future, and at the same time try to monetize on the acquired audience, e.g. by advertising on their website, selling products, etc.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is the disinformation about refugees directed at?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The analysis of fake news about refugees reaching Poland points us to a&nbsp;conclusion that this type of content is mainly targeted at three groups of recipients:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Racist-minded environments<\/strong>: Some of the fake news was intended to reach people with already negative attitudes towards refugees. Disinformation was mainly about alleged crimes committed in border towns. In this case, the overall popularity of this type of content should be assessed as very high, although with a&nbsp;relatively short duration of impact.<\/li><li><strong>Supporters of conspiracy theories<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 Promoting anti-refugee content on profiles and groups previously known for publishing conspiracy theories was intended primarily for people who easily believed in this type of content. This is evident with the presence of a&nbsp;narrative about a&nbsp;deliberate transfer of refugees to Poland, who are supposed to eventually replace Poles. In this case, we can see moderate popularity of content limited to only one target group.<\/li><li><strong>Average concerned citizens<\/strong>: This group was the prime target for information intended to arouse fear of rising prices, prolonged queues to medical specialists, or difficulties in education access for children. In this case, we assessed the disinformation potential as the highest among all three groups of recipients. However, none of the content had similar reach as in the case of the two aforementioned groups.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The language of disinformation about refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fake refugee content is characterized by a&nbsp;specific type of language used. By analyzing the discourse based on the language present in social media articles and posts, we can divide the language of disinformation into three main groups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disdainful attitude towards refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many articles and entries describe refugees as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/V5iw9\">displaced persons<\/a>. This suggests that they are not really seekers of refuge, but were deliberately brought to Poland out of someone else\u2019s interest. In addition, we are also dealing with the word&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/8OPLt\">\u201erefugees\u201d<\/a>put in quotation marks. This procedure is, in turn, an attempt to question whether the refugees from beyond the Polish eastern border are really those in need of aid. In disinformation about refugees, there also appeared the term<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/bN7b1\">&nbsp;\u201eincursors\u201d<\/a>\u2013 a&nbsp;combination of the words \u201crefugee\u201d and \u201cinvasion\u201d in Polish. The most contemptuous term that can be found in social media is the phrase<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/8OPLt\">&nbsp;\u201eUpai\u0144cy\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 combined words \u201eUkrainian\u201d and \u201eUPA\u201d, which is a&nbsp;direct reference to the<a href=\"https:\/\/warsawinstitute.org\/poland-ukraine-history-divides\/\">&nbsp;difficult Polish-Ukrainian history<\/a>&nbsp;and identifying refugees with the descendants of the Ukrainian Liberation Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dehumanization of the migration crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/uRcNF\">\u201eInvasion\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;often appears in the disinformation discourse as a&nbsp;description of the situation on the Polish-Ukrainian border. This type of rhetoric is meant to perpetuate the feeling that Poland is under attack and that people who come from Ukraine are simply aggressors (attackers). The same tone is also struck by terms such as:<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/JLb1J\">&nbsp;\u201einvasion of our land\u201d<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/z4vQ8\">&nbsp;\u201euncontrolled invasion\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/zakD4\">\u201eResettlement action\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;is also used to describe the migration crisis, which is in line with the other phrases used to scornfully portray refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Negative attitude towards assistance provided to refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Disinformative language also affects initiatives aimed at helping refugees. In this case, phrases such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/AcZEL\">\u201efreeloaders\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/dHEhu\">\u201ehandouts\u201d are used<\/a>. Their aim is to convince people of the unwise policy of state authorities, recklessly supporting the refugees. This type of narrative is also underpinned by phrases such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/D8rzn\">\u201etreacherous decisions\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/1sFKq\">\u201eThe government plans to plunder the Polish nation\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/SOEAw\">\u201eSecond-class citizens\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;appears very often in the disinformation narrative as well. This is one of the elements to show that with the help provided to refugees, Polish citizens are being pushed aside. To perpetuate this, phrases such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/D8rzn\">\u201eprivileged\u201d<\/a>about Ukrainians and<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/D8rzn\">&nbsp;\u201ediscrimination\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;against Poles are also used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Actions to combat disinformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both state institutions and non-governmental organizations joined the fight against false messages about refugees.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/8szKV\">The Prime Minister\u2019s Office<\/a>&nbsp;was one of the most important official Polish institutions that responded to false reports of discrimination against black refugees on the Polish-Ukrainian border.<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/Tolf8\">&nbsp;The Scientific and Academic Computer Network<\/a>&nbsp;(NASK), a&nbsp;state-owned research institute, is also involved in this fight against fake news, for example by reporting on disinformation in the context of alleged Ukrainian privileges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, uniformed services also take part in the fight against disinformation. The Polish<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/tshMq\">&nbsp;police<\/a>, taking to its official social media accounts, denied the news about the increase in crime in Przemy\u015bl, while the<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/52Lb5\">&nbsp;Border Guard<\/a>&nbsp;cleared up reports of a&nbsp;Ukrainian boy who allegedly had to reach Poland alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, there are fact-checking organizations involved in debunking false claims (apart from the Demagog Association) incl.<a href=\"https:\/\/konkret24.tvn24.pl\/\">Konkret24<\/a>&nbsp;or<a href=\"https:\/\/sprawdzam.afp.com\/list\">&nbsp;AFP Sprawdzam<\/a>, that regularly verify any dubious messages appearing in social media. In addition, some influencers who are known for promoting the principles of responsible content consumption on their profiles, such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LukaszBok?ref_src=twsrc%255Egoogle%257Ctwcamp%255Eserp%257Ctwgr%255Eauthor\">\u0141ukasz Bok<\/a>&nbsp;or<a href=\"https:\/\/kasiagandor.com\/\">&nbsp;Katarzyna Gandor<\/a>, also contribute to the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The efforts of state institutions, uniformed services and non-governmental organizations should be deemed positive. Thanks to those combined forces, the time to debunk unproven theories is relatively short.<strong>Examples of disinformation about refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The process of Ukrainian citizens becoming a&nbsp;privileged group<\/strong>&nbsp;would be carried out on<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">&nbsp;various<\/a>&nbsp;levels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Obtaining a&nbsp;PESEL identification number (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/pesel-to-nie-obywatelstwo-wyjasniamy-sytuacje-prawna-uchodzcow-2\/\">link<\/a>&nbsp;to Demagog\u2019s analysis).<\/li><li>Free flats for refugees that were previously intended for Poles (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">link<\/a>&nbsp;to Demagog\u2019s analysis).<\/li><li>Access to free medical care and education, paid for by Polish citizens (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">link<\/a>&nbsp;to Demagog\u2019s analysis).<\/li><li>Free travel on selected highways, trains, public transport and the use of free prepaid phones (<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">link<\/a>&nbsp;to Demagog\u2019s analysis).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PESEL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/gov\/czym-jest-numer-pesel\">PESEL<\/a>&nbsp;identification number is an eleven-digit numerical identifier that allows you to easily identify the person who has it. It is assigned&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/gov\/czym-jest-numer-pesel\">automatically<\/a>&nbsp;by the registry office when drawing up a&nbsp;birth certificate for a&nbsp;child born in Poland, or at the request of a&nbsp;given person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As some misinforming posts tried to<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/gUAa0\">&nbsp;convince<\/a>&nbsp;its readers, assigning this number would be a&nbsp;prelude to granting&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220307131145\/https:\/kuriergarwolinski.pl\/garwolin-20598-pis-realizuje-gigantyczna-akcje-przesiedlencza,2.html\">citizenship<\/a>&nbsp;to people from Ukraine. Some suggested that it was part of a&nbsp;grander&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ITUDk\">plan<\/a>&nbsp;of the Polish officials to win additional voters in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth emphasizing that assigning a&nbsp;PESEL number to foreigners&nbsp;<strong>is not unusual<\/strong>. It is<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/gov\/uzyskaj-numer-pesel-dla-cudzoziemcow\">&nbsp;awarded ex officio to persons from abroad who have obtained:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The right of permanent residence or a&nbsp;permanent residence permit,<\/li><li>long-term resident\u2019s European Union residence permit,<\/li><li>refugee status, subsidiary protection or asylum,<\/li><li>consent for a&nbsp;tolerated stay,<\/li><li>temporary protection,<\/li><li>residence permit for humanitarian reasons.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, foreigners who have<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/gov\/uzyskaj-numer-pesel-dla-cudzoziemcow\">&nbsp;registered<\/a>&nbsp;in Poland for a&nbsp;stay of more than 30 days also receive a&nbsp;PESEL ex officio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most importantly, assigning a&nbsp;PESEL number is not tantamount to granting citizenship. This number&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ocalenie.org.pl\/zalatwto\/numer-pesel\">facilitates<\/a>&nbsp;everyday functioning in Poland and allows you to deal with many official matters, as well as use the social, health and private insurance systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Granting&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/isap.sejm.gov.pl\/isap.nsf\/DocDetails.xsp?id=wdu20120000161\">citizenship<\/a>, on the other hand, is&nbsp;<strong>a&nbsp;long-term process<\/strong>, requiring residence in Poland for a&nbsp;specified period of time and filling in relevant documents. There is also a&nbsp;shorter way of granting citizenship possible, but this can be granted only by the Polish president himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Privileges for Ukrainians<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with the influx of refugees, there were complaints on social media that there is institutional favoring of Ukrainians over Poles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Free housing<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some messages concerned&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">granting<\/a>&nbsp;free housing to the refugees. This type of situation was to happen in Krak\u00f3w, D\u0119bica and Mi\u0144sk Mazowiecki, where 650 apartments were to be granted to people fleeing the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The accommodation was provided&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pfr.pl\/\">by the Polski Fundusz Rozwoju<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 a&nbsp;group of financial and advisory institutions for entrepreneurs, local governments and private individuals investing in sustainable social and economic development of the country. Its main element is Polski Fundusz Rozwoju SA, a&nbsp;state-owned company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flats made available by PFR are only a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pfr.pl\/aktualnosci\/pfr-przekaze-650-mieszkan-dla-uchodzcow-z-ukrainy.html\">temporary solution<\/a>, for six months at the least. In this way, it will be possible to provide shelter for approx. 2.5 thousand people fleeing the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>State-provided money handouts for living costs<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Disinformation<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">&nbsp;messages<\/a>&nbsp;also raised the issue of financial support provided by the Polish state to people from Ukraine. They were to receive a&nbsp;daily subsidy of PLN 40 per day for each person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The important information, however, is that the money&nbsp;<strong>did not go directly to the refugees<\/strong>, but was transferred to the people&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/uw-podlaski\/ustawa-o-pomocy-obywatelom-ukrainy-w-zwiazku-z-konfliktem-zbrojnym-na-terytorium-tego-panstwa-podpisana-przez-prezydenta\">who<\/a>&nbsp;aided them. Each entity, be it a&nbsp;local government or a&nbsp;household, that provides shelter to those fleeing the war, will receive a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/uw-podlaski\/ustawa-o-pomocy-obywatelom-ukrainy-w-zwiazku-z-konfliktem-zbrojnym-na-terytorium-tego-panstwa-podpisana-przez-prezydenta\">&nbsp;benefit<\/a>&nbsp;on the basis of an application submitted to the commune administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This type of support is a&nbsp;temporary solution planned for a&nbsp;maximum period of&nbsp;<strong>60 days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Free medical care financed by Polish taxpayers<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">Providing<\/a>&nbsp;Ukrainians with free medical care and access to education was another part of misinforming narration. Polish patients would be at a&nbsp;disadvantage because, according to some&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">sources<\/a>, refugees were to be given priority in queues to medical specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/uw-podlaski\/ustawa-o-pomocy-obywatelom-ukrainy-w-zwiazku-z-konfliktem-zbrojnym-na-terytorium-tego-panstwa-podpisana-przez-prezydenta\">the government<\/a>&nbsp;informs on its website: \u201eEvery citizen of Ukraine legally residing in Poland will have guaranteed access to the public health care system&nbsp;<strong>on the same terms<\/strong>&nbsp;as Polish citizens\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that Ukrainian refugees will be attended to in Poland on the same&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/samorzad.pap.pl\/kategoria\/aktualnosci\/mz-i-nfz-przekazaly-uzgodnienia-w-zakresie-pomocy-medycznej-dla-uchodzcow\">terms<\/a>&nbsp;as Polish patients. Importantly, the source of financing aid for refugees will not be health taxes paid by Polish citizens, but funds from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/samorzad.pap.pl\/kategoria\/aktualnosci\/mz-i-nfz-przekazaly-uzgodnienia-w-zakresie-pomocy-medycznej-dla-uchodzcow\">the state budget.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to topics related to health care on the Internet, there were also examples of discrimination against Poles. One of the most famous was the alleged&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/vdtMk\">expulsion<\/a>&nbsp;of Polish children from cancer wards to make room for Ukrainian patients. This fake news was debunked by the Demagog Association on<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/polskie-dzieci-sa-wyrzucane-ze-szpitali-onkologicznych-nie-ma-dowodow\/\">&nbsp;their website<\/a>. The doctors\u2019 association also<a href=\"https:\/\/ptohd.pl\/pomoc-dzieciom-z-chorobami-nowotworowymi-przebywajacymi-na-terytorium-ukrainy\/\">&nbsp;issued an official statement<\/a>&nbsp;regarding the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Access to education that is allegedly discriminatory<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Polish children, for whom there would be no place in primary or secondary schools, would also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/uchodzcy-dostaja-darmowe-mieszkania-fake-news\/\">suffer<\/a>&nbsp;consequences of accepting refugees into educational institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we can read on the website of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/edukacja-i-nauka\/informacja-o-ksztalceniu-w-polskim-systemie-oswiaty-osob-przybywajacych-z-zagranicy\">&nbsp;Ministry of Education and Science<\/a>: \u201eForeign students benefit from education and care in all types of public kindergartens and schools until they turn 18 or graduate from post-primary \/ secondary school on the terms applicable to Polish citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Giving refugees access to education in Poland does not discriminate against Poles. It is the same with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/edukacja-i-nauka\/informacja-o-ksztalceniu-w-polskim-systemie-oswiaty-osob-przybywajacych-z-zagranicy\">attending<\/a>&nbsp;a&nbsp;public kindergarten or nursery free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Aggressive behavior and increased crime following the arrival of refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The increase in the number of foreigners&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strazgraniczna.pl\/pl\/aktualnosci\/9881,Wjazd-uchodzcow-z-Ukrainy-do-Polski.html\">crossing<\/a>&nbsp;the Polish border was to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.today\/oiCI7\">lead<\/a>&nbsp;to an increase in crime in border towns. Przemy\u015bl has become a&nbsp;peculiar place on the map of our country. It was there that there was an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/przemysl-situation-of-refugees-at-the-border-explained\/\">accumulation of<\/a>&nbsp;false information about potential thefts and rapes on Polish women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Claims of the aggressive attitude of refugees towards Polish residents were distributed, among others, via<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/wip\/IGw33\">&nbsp;Twitter accounts<\/a>, the purpose of which was to spread disinformation. These messages were most often&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/oiCI7\">word of mouth<\/a>, founded on a&nbsp;very particular source of knowledge: most often a&nbsp;family member living in the whereabouts of the city. On social media, there were numerous&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/oiCI7\">screenshots<\/a>&nbsp;containing horrifying news, e.g. about knife attacks or robberies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sensationalistic nature of these messages was the cause of mass anxiety, and unconfirmed claims began to circulate impulsively among social media users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The quake of fake news regarding refugee behavior sparked a&nbsp;response from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PolskaPolicja\/status\/1498941738257469443?ref_src=twsrc%255Etfw%257Ctwcamp%255Etweetembed%257Ctwterm%255E1498942075357773824%257Ctwgr%255E%257Ctwcon%255Es2_&amp;ref_url=https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/przemysl-jak-wyglada-sytuacja-uchodzcow-przy-granicy\/\">police<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/przemysl-jak-wyglada-sytuacja-uchodzcow-przy-granicy\/\">ambulance service<\/a>s. Neither of these institutions confirmed the increase in reported crimes, nor the admissions to hospitals caused by the attack. Although disturbing incidents did take place sporadically, such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/przemysl-jak-wyglada-sytuacja-uchodzcow-przy-granicy\/\">biting off<\/a>&nbsp;a&nbsp;paramedic\u2019s finger, they are isolated cases and not definitive proof of a&nbsp;widespread phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Non-Ukrainian immigrants trying to get to Poland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The disinformation narrative around refugees also involved people who were not of Ukrainian origin, trying to find refuge from the war. These types of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/co-wiemy-o-sytuacji-uchodzcow-na-granicy-polsko-ukrainskiej\/\">messages<\/a>&nbsp;tried to purport that in fact the war is only a&nbsp;pretext for citizens from the Middle East and Africa to easily cross the border and eventually settle in Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The underlying prejudice against immigrants that the fake news on this topic triggered originated with anti-refugee moods during the events on the Polish-Belarusian border from August to November 2021. This humanitarian&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.grupagranica.pl\/files\/Grupa-Granica-Report-Humanitarian-crisis-at-the-Polish-Belarusian-border.pdf\">crisis<\/a>&nbsp;contributed to false information about people trying to enter Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar patterns emerged with the increasing numbers of refugees from Ukraine.<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/co-wiemy-o-sytuacji-uchodzcow-na-granicy-polsko-ukrainskiej\/\">&nbsp;Suddenly, reports<\/a>&nbsp;began to circulate around social media that the borders are allegedly not crossed by Ukrainian mothers with children, but by young, dark-skinned men. Photographs taken at the railway station in Przemy\u015bl were to serve as proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The non-Ukrainian refugees were also said to exhibit aggressive behavior, as seen in a<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/was-this-train-at-the-lviv-station-fake-news\/\">&nbsp;recording<\/a>&nbsp;from one of the railway stations in Ukraine. The video showed a&nbsp;situation where a&nbsp;dark-skinned man stands in the door of a&nbsp;train with a&nbsp;knife and supposedly prevents passengers from entering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the material lasted only a&nbsp;dozen or so seconds, and it is difficult to clearly define the context of the whole situation solely on its basis. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/was-this-train-at-the-lviv-station-fake-news\/\">analysis<\/a>&nbsp;of the man\u2019s statements, as well as the explanatory video published by him, proved to be helpful in judging the recording. As it turned out, the Moroccan citizen clarified that his behavior was caused by people pushing his friends out of the train. He then decided to react and let them get back inside, while also saying there would be enough space for everyone. This one-sided account cannot fully explain the behavior seen in the film, but it is an example of how a&nbsp;short video without context can manipulate viewers\u2019 opinion and change their attitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth noting that at the time of the outbreak of the war, there were almost 80,000&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/what-do-we-know-about-refugee-situation-on-the-polish-ukrainian-border\/\">foreign<\/a>&nbsp;students from 155 countries in Ukraine.<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/what-do-we-know-about-refugee-situation-on-the-polish-ukrainian-border\/\">&nbsp;According to the Ukrainian migration services, about<\/a>&nbsp;<strong>400,000 foreigners<\/strong>&nbsp;lived in the country in 2019. More importantly though, the Border Guard<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Straz_Graniczna\/status\/1503749376170147843\">&nbsp;stated<\/a>&nbsp;on March 15, 2022, that approx.&nbsp;<strong>94 percent of people<\/strong>&nbsp;crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border&nbsp;<strong>are citizens of Ukraine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Poland discriminates against black refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was also an interesting phenomenon in the context of disinformation regarding refugees from Ukraine: numerous reports about the racism of the Polish Border Guard against black refugees. Information on this subject appeared in various Western media outlets, including the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-60555650\">BBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The press department of the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration informed the<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/what-do-we-know-about-refugee-situation-on-the-polish-ukrainian-border\/\">&nbsp;Demagog\u2019s<\/a>&nbsp;editorial office that: \u201cAll persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. Border Guard officers apply appropriate screening procedures to those who are in an uncertain legal situation, e.g. have no documents. No person given shelter in Poland will ever be sent back to a&nbsp;country torn apart by war\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We cannot deny that there could have been incidents at the border and difficulties in getting to Poland for people with darker skin. Reports of several or a&nbsp;dozen or so people may be a&nbsp;warning sign for the authorities, but they do&nbsp;not prove the existence of systemic racism and the prevalence of acts of discrimination during border proceedings.<strong>Disinformation about refugees in Hungary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Between humanitarian aid and non-war involvement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hungarians are also involved in helping refugees from Ukraine.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/help.budapest.hu\/en\/?fbclid=IwAR1wr_EvZbreQrtWsgUunoyL-cUrhqTB6ZYKBVhGkb5tQtQRDYBzcXzZAxI\">The local government of Budapest<\/a>&nbsp;offers them temporary accommodation and free public transport. The largest medical university in Hungary, Semmelweis University, provides&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/2022\/03\/semmelweis-university-helps-refugees-from-ukraine-in-several-areas\/\">medical assistance<\/a>. The Hungarians have created a&nbsp;special&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/shelterukr.com\/\">website<\/a>&nbsp;to help Ukrainians in finding accommodation. Hungarian State Railways have introduced a&nbsp;free&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mavcsoport.hu\/mavinform\/szolidaritasi-jeggyel-utazhatnak-ukrajnai-menekultek\">\u2018solidarity ticket\u2019<\/a>&nbsp;for Ukrainians.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/photo\/2022\/02\/photos-weekend-global-protest-against-invasion-ukraine\/622951\/#img09\">Demonstrations<\/a>&nbsp;in the streets of Hungarian cities are gathering huge crowds of opponents of Russian aggression in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Viktor Orban&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/hungarytoday.hu\/orban-russia-attack-condems-aggression\/\">condemned<\/a>&nbsp;the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but at the same time reaffirmed Hungary\u2019s position regarding non-military involvement in the war. The Hungarian prime minister&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/03\/07\/orban-signs-decree-to-let-nato-troops-in-hungary-bans-weapons-passage\">allowed<\/a>&nbsp;NATO troops to enter his country, but at the same time&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/miniszterelnok.hu\/exclusive-interview-with-prime-minister-viktor-orban-on-m1\/\">refused<\/a>&nbsp;to deliver weapons to Ukraine because, he claimed, they could be used against Hungary in the future. The prime minister emphasized in an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/miniszterelnok.hu\/exclusive-interview-with-prime-minister-viktor-orban-on-m1\/\">interview<\/a>&nbsp;with the M1 channel that Hungary \u2018will support any sanctions agreed on by EU countries\u2019. On the other hand, Hungarian foreign minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/hungarytoday.hu\/foreign-minister-hungary-govt-war-ukraine-sanctions-eu-nato-russia-energy-supplies\/\">said<\/a>&nbsp;during the meeting of EU foreign ministers that Hungary would not support sanctions which \u2018may pose a&nbsp;threat to Hungary\u2019s energy supplies\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/03\/02\/putin-loses-key-ally-in-the-european-union-as-hungarys-orban-turns.html\">close ties<\/a>&nbsp;between Hungary and Russia were visible, for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hungary was the first country in the European Union to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-health-coronavirus-hungary-russia-idUSKBN29R0WB\">&nbsp;buy the Russian COVID-19 vaccine<\/a>, even though it&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/03\/16\/world\/europe\/who-sputnik-covid-vaccine.html\">was not yet approved<\/a>&nbsp;by European regulators. Orban himself has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/atlatszo.hu\/kozugy\/2022\/02\/28\/orban-viktor-11-alkalommal-talalkozott-putyinnal-2010-ota-legtobbszor-moszkvaban\/\">met<\/a>&nbsp;with Putin 11 times since 2010, most often in Moscow. The last such meeting took place in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/kormany.hu\/hirek\/ha-van-orosz-gaz-van-rezsicsokkentes-ha-nincs-orosz-gaz-nincs-rezsicsokkentes\">February 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On April 3rd, Hungarians will vote in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/vtr.valasztas.hu\/ogy2022\">parliamentary elections<\/a>, choosing between Orban\u2019s Fidesz party and the united opposition, whose candidate for prime minister is Peter Marki-Zay. This fact is not without significance for the spread of anti-Ukrainian disinformation in Hungary, as this topic has become one of the elements of the political campaign and, at the same time, an opportunity for the government to discredit the opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rules of entry to Hungary for Ukrainians<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukrainians may be admitted to Hungarian territory with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.taylorwessing.com\/en\/insights-and-events\/insights\/2022\/03\/legal-and-practical-guide-for-people-leaving-ukraine-to-hungary\">valid biometric passport<\/a>, but because of the Russian invasion, refugees are also admitted if they&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.taylorwessing.com\/en\/insights-and-events\/insights\/2022\/03\/legal-and-practical-guide-for-people-leaving-ukraine-to-hungary\">do&nbsp;not have a&nbsp;passport<\/a>, e.g. on the basis of a&nbsp;Ukrainian national ID card. Starting March 7th this year, all pandemic restrictions for entering Hungary have been&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mkik.hu\/hirek\/a-koronavirus-jarvany-miatt-bevezetett-hataratlepessel-kapcsolatos-szabalyok\">lifted<\/a>. Hungary does not require any proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a&nbsp;negative test result to enter the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disputes between Budapest and Kyiv<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukrainian-Hungarian relations&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/odr\/how-kyiv-and-budapest-fell-out-over-zakarpattya\/\">are not the most congenial ones<\/a>. The center of tensions is the Transcarpathian region in Western Ukraine, which historically belonged to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ukraine\/Bukovina#ref404512\">Austro-Hungarian Empire<\/a>&nbsp;and became&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ukraine\/The-Nazi-occupation-of-Soviet-Ukraine#ref404625\">part of Ukraine<\/a>&nbsp;in 1945.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to data from a&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/2001.ukrcensus.gov.ua\/results\/general\/nationality\/zakarpatia\/\">census<\/a>&nbsp;conducted in Ukraine in 2001, about 12 percent (150,000) of inhabitants in Transcarpathia are Hungarians. It is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/odr\/how-kyiv-and-budapest-fell-out-over-zakarpattya\/\">common<\/a>&nbsp;for these people to have dual citizenship, both Ukrainian and Hungarian. Budapest has repeatedly argued that the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2021\/01\/27\/ukraine-and-hungary-pledge-to-ease-tensions-over-border-region-of-transcarpathia\">violated<\/a>, and that the right of Hungarians to use their native language in Ukraine is limited by introducing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/444.hu\/tldr\/2017\/11\/16\/mi-itt-mar-csak-a-magyar-kormany-kemenysegeben-bizhatunk\">compulsory education<\/a>&nbsp;in Ukrainian. Therefore, for 10 years (from 2011 to 2021), Hungary&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rferl.org\/a\/ukraine-hungary-funding-diaspora\/31348870.html\">spent at least EUR 115 million<\/a>&nbsp;to support the cultural heritage and Hungarian-language initiatives in Transcarpathia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Differences in attitudes towards refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are currently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/data2.unhcr.org\/en\/situations\/ukraine\">374,535 refugees in Hungary<\/a>. In an official message coming directly from Orban\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/orbanviktor\">social media accounts<\/a>, the Hungarian prime minister presents himself as committed to supporting refugees, while also focusing on the security of his country. On Facebook, he wrote a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo\/?fbid=513957280101875&amp;set=a.347694613394810\">post<\/a>&nbsp;with the description: \u201eThank you patriots! We look after the refugees, we protect the country\u201d. In turn, Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/kormany.hu\/a-kormany-tagjai\">Hungarian foreign minister<\/a>, boasted in a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/szijjarto.peter.official\/posts\/500577961535502\">post<\/a>&nbsp;that Hungary \u201ehelped 8,812 citizens of 12 nationalities return home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blanka Z\u00f6ldi, editor-in-chief of the Hungarian fact-checking organization&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakmusz.hu\/\">Lakmusz<\/a>, in an interview with Demagog states that the mood of Hungarians regarding the war in Ukraine differs significantly depending on political views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the parliamentary elections in 2018, the seats in the Hungarian parliament are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.parlament.hu\/bevezetes9\">distributed<\/a>&nbsp;as follows: a&nbsp;joint list of Fidesz and KDNP (Christian Democratic People\u2019s Party) \u2013 133 representatives; Jobbik \u2013 26 representatives; MSZP (Hungarian Socialist Party) and PM (Dialogue for Hungary), a&nbsp;joint list \u2013 20 representatives; DK (Democratic Coalition) \u2013 9 representatives; LMP (Policy May Be Different) \u2013 8 representatives; one representative each: MNO\u00d6 (German National Government in Hungary), EGY\u00dcTT (Epoch Change Party), one politically non-affiliated member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Z\u00f6ldi\u2019s conclusions are in line with the results of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/rtl.hu\/hirado\/2022\/02\/27\/pulzus-kutato-felmeres-orosz-ukran-haboru-partszimpatia\">survey<\/a>&nbsp;conducted by Pulzus Kutat\u00f3. In light of its results, a&nbsp;quarter of Fidesz supporters believe that Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine is \u201elegitimate\u201d for reasons of protection of the Russian minority in Ukraine. Less than half of pro-government voters agreed that the attack on Ukraine was \u201eserious aggression.\u201d On the other hand, among those supporting the political opposition, almost 90 percent of respondents describe the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a&nbsp;\u201eserious attack\u201d. Most Hungarians, regardless of party affiliation, would admit refugees unconditionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Patrik Szicherle, a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital.hu\/our_team.php\">Political Capital expert<\/a>&nbsp;on international relations and analysis of Russian influence in Hungary, notes that mainly ethnic Ukrainians enter Hungary, not Hungarians from Transcarpathia. In his opinion, this makes the Hungarian far right \u201ea bit disappointed and less enthusiastic about helping\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The polarization of Hungarian society is evident in its reactions to the war<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. \u00c1gnes Urb\u00e1n, media scientist and expert at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mertek.eu\/en\/about-us\/our-experts\/\">M\u00e9rt\u00e9k Media Monitor<\/a>, in one of her&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mertek.eu\/en\/2022\/03\/03\/the-hungarian-government-media-disseminates-kremlin-propaganda\/\">analyses<\/a>&nbsp;states that \u201cthe attack on Ukraine caused widespread outrage in Hungary. However, the deep polarization in Hungarian society also manifested itself through social reactions to the war. Most of the people unequivocally condemn the Russian aggression and declare their solidarity with Ukraine, and with the influx of the first refugees, help was provided both by society and the state. Nevertheless, a&nbsp;different narrative is also circulating in Hungarian social media, according to which many commentators clearly spread Kremlin\u2019s propaganda and try to convince that the Russian aggression against Ukraine is a&nbsp;relative matter. Unfortunately, this narrative is also strengthened by pro-government media, including public media \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Patrik Szicherle from Political Capital emphasizes in a&nbsp;statement for Demagog, anti-refugee narratives against Ukrainians are not common in Hungarian mainstream media. On the other hand, anti-Ukrainian content, the main source of which is the media close to the government, both public and private, is gaining popularity. This is consistent with the observations of Blanka Z\u00f6ldi, who points out that anti-Ukrainian narratives appear in statements of members of the ruling party, and thus also in the media dependent on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital.hu\/hireink.php?article_read=1&amp;article_id=2954\">Analyses<\/a>&nbsp;carried out by Political Capital show that anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian content is also popular on social media, mainly those outlets which are favorable to the Hungarian authorities. According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital.hu\/hireink.php?article_read=1&amp;article_id=2954\">research<\/a>&nbsp;by Political Capital, it is almost certain that a&nbsp;pro-Russian Internet troll network has developed in Hungary, in which not only real users but also fake profiles participate regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth emphasizing that, according to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.direkt36.hu\/kiszivargott-iratok-mutatjak-hogyan-diktalnak-orbanek-a-nemzeti-hirugynoksegnek\/\">analysis<\/a>&nbsp;carried out by investigative journalists from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.direkt36.hu\/\">Direkt36<\/a>, the current Hungarian government controls the activities of MTI (Hungarian Press Agency), and therefore to some extent also the flow of information in the media. As noted in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.direkt36.hu\/kiszivargott-iratok-mutatjak-hogyan-diktalnak-orbanek-a-nemzeti-hirugynoksegnek\/\">analysis<\/a>: \u201epublic media should provide reliable and comprehensive information to Hungarians (\u2026), however, the documents sent to Direkt36 from the last four years prove otherwise\u201d.<strong>Examples of disinformation in Hungary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ukrainians as Putin\u2019s provocateurs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the journalist 444.hu P\u00e9ter Magyari emphasizes in a&nbsp;commentary for Demagog, one of the main narratives is that Ukrainians are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/444.hu\/2022\/03\/20\/posztmodern-populizmus-es-haboru\">responsible<\/a>&nbsp;for starting the war. According to this narrative, \u201eUkrainians should not have provoked Putin\u201d and then there would be no war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An example of the presence of this type of content in the Hungarian media is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oMFHEkmeTX4&amp;feature=emb_title&amp;ab_channel=M1-H%C3%ADrad%C3%B3\">interview<\/a>&nbsp;with Georg Sp\u00f6ttle on M1 TV. Sp\u00f6ttle is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nezopont.hu\/munkatarsaink\/\">associated<\/a>&nbsp;with the pro-government N\u00e9z\u0151pont Int\u00e9zet (Hungarian Institute of Perspectives), and as Dr. \u00c1gnes Urb\u00e1n points out in one of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mertek.eu\/en\/2022\/03\/03\/the-hungarian-government-media-disseminates-kremlin-propaganda\/\">analyses<\/a>, Sp\u00f6ttle is also a&nbsp;regular guest of programs devoted to international issues in the public media. During the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oMFHEkmeTX4&amp;feature=emb_title&amp;ab_channel=M1-H%C3%ADrad%C3%B3\">interview<\/a>, he blamed Ukraine for the outbreak of the war. He also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/atlatszo.hu\/kozugy\/2022\/02\/28\/ketkulacsos-kormanykommunikacio-a-kozmediaba-is-bekerultek-az-orosz-propaganda-allitasai\/\">spoke<\/a>&nbsp;of \u201every calm Russian soldiers\u201d who do&nbsp;not attack civilians. Ukraine has \u201ecrossed the red line, smashing Putin\u2019s security and getting ready to develop nuclear weapons,\u201d he&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/atlatszo.hu\/kozugy\/2022\/02\/28\/ketkulacsos-kormanykommunikacio-a-kozmediaba-is-bekerultek-az-orosz-propaganda-allitasai\/\">said<\/a>. The same accusation against Ukraine was found also in Putin\u2019s speech recognizing the independence of the separatist republics in Ukraine, which emphasizes the convergence of Sp\u00f6ttle\u2019s narrative with Russian propaganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, Ukraine did not announce the launch of a&nbsp;nuclear program, and Zelensky&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.karpatinfo.net\/2022\/2\/20\/zelenszkij-budapesti-memorandum-megvalositasat-koveteli-200055616\">spoke<\/a>&nbsp;about the convening of signatories to the 1994&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/treaties.un.org\/doc\/Publication\/UNTS\/Volume%203007\/Part\/volume-3007-I-52241.pdf\">Budapest Memorandum<\/a>. The invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine is a&nbsp;violation of the Budapest Memorandum, of which Russia is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/treaties.un.org\/doc\/Publication\/UNTS\/Volume%203007\/Part\/volume-3007-I-52241.pdf\">signatory<\/a>. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, Ukraine decided to abandon nuclear weapons, which was to ensure respect for the inviolability of its borders. Thus, Ukraine gave up the world\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/order-from-chaos\/2019\/12\/05\/why-care-about-ukraine-and-the-budapest-memorandum\/\">third-largest nuclear arsenal<\/a>, which consisted of around&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/order-from-chaos\/2019\/12\/05\/why-care-about-ukraine-and-the-budapest-memorandum\/\">1,900 nuclear warheads<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ukraine as a&nbsp;country aggressive towards minorities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital.hu\/hirek.php?article_read=1&amp;article_id=2957\">report<\/a>&nbsp;published by Political Capital, the most popular narrative in the Hungarian media aims to prove that a&nbsp;genocide took place in Ukraine. According to this scenario, the government in Kyiv is presented as aggressive towards minorities, including Hungarians. The ill-treatment of the Russian minority in Ukraine was supposed to initiate Russia\u2019s invasion of this country, in a&nbsp;way, out of concern for its own nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The activity of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220328075251\/https:\/szamokadatok.hu\/Post\/5053\/Az_orosz_nep_uzenete_bennunket_nem_fogtok_letiltani_mint_egy_profilt_a_Facebookon\">Sz\u00e1mok<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 a&nbsp;baloldali \u00e1lh\u00edrek ellenszere nev\u0171 (Hungarian for Numbers \u2013 Antidote to the Left\u2019s fake news) portal, which openly supported Moscow, is part of this narrative. The site has over 85,000&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/szamokadatok\">likes<\/a>&nbsp;on Facebook. Even before the Russian attack on Ukraine, the portal wrote a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DyyI0\">post<\/a>&nbsp;in connection with Russia\u2019s recognition of independence, the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People\u2019s Republics. The author of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DyyI0\">post<\/a>&nbsp;applauds Russia\u2019s decision in this regard (\u201erespect and gratitude for this!\u201d), and accuses Ukraine of genocide against the Russian minority. Facebook\u2019s users&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DyyI0\">commenting<\/a>&nbsp;on the post approvingly reacted to the content presented. One of them wrote: \u201cThe West provoked this! The Russians endured it for 8 years, but when Ukrainian tanks began to penetrate Russian territory, the glass became full! \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Sz\u00e1mok \u2013 a&nbsp;baloldali \u00e1lh\u00edrek ellenszere nev\u0171, \u201ethe Ukrainian regime has been \u00bbdemocratizing\u00ab its nation with tanks for 8 years\u201d. The authors of the Facebook&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/bYn5T\">posts<\/a>&nbsp;explain that the reason for the invasion of Russian troops is to counteract the \u201ekilling of the Russian people\u201d, therefore \u201ePutin decided to use a&nbsp;targeted attack to destroy Ukrainian military facilities that started the genocide.\u201d The narrative&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/bYn5T\">presented<\/a>&nbsp;in the Sz\u00e1mok \u2013 a&nbsp;baloldali \u00e1lh\u00edrek ellenszere nev\u0171 entries is consistent with the pro-Russian propaganda according to which Russia does not attack civilian objects. Publishers&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/bYn5T\">say<\/a>&nbsp;\u201eRussia is not attacking \u2018cities\u2019 but military infrastructure.\u201d We know for a&nbsp;fact that the invasion of Russian troops is also targeting&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/stopfake-falsz-rosja-nie-zagraza-ludnosci-cywilnej-w-ukrainie\/\">civilian<\/a>&nbsp;facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another website called Orosz H\u00edrek (Hungarian News), with over 100,000 followers on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oroszhirek.hu\/\">Facebook<\/a>, just after Russia\u2019s attack on Ukraine, shared a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/QvHJj\">photo<\/a>&nbsp;of a&nbsp;boy crying&nbsp; in front of a&nbsp;destroyed city. According to the author of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/FaUpj\">post<\/a>, the photo shows the damage done by Ukrainians, and the text also includes an accusation of Ukraine \u201ekilling its own population\u201d. In reality,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldpressphoto.org\/collection\/photo-contest\/2017\/valery-melnikov\/16\">the photo<\/a>&nbsp;was taken by Valery Melnikov after pro-Russian separatists entered Lugansk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The narrative according to which Ukraine committed genocide is so popular in Hungary that politicians are also succumbing to it.&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/menczererzsebet.fidesz.hu\/profil\/\">Erzs\u00e9bet Menczer<\/a>, associated with Fidesz, shared her observations on this matter on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/HgeqH\">Facebook<\/a>. In her opinion, \u201ethe ultra-nationalist government, serving the West, has been endangering its own people and firing on areas inhabited by the Russian minority for 8 (!!!!) years!\u201d In reality, however, there is no basis to claims that the Russian minority in Ukraine is at risk of genocide, as the reports of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Documents\/Countries\/UA\/HRMMUReport15June2014.pdf\">UN High Commissioner for Human Rights<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osce.org\/hcnm\/117175\">the OSCE<\/a>, and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/rm.coe.int\/16800c5d6f\">Council of Europe<\/a>&nbsp;confirm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Transcarpathia as a&nbsp;region belonging to Hungary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Materials published in the context of the situation of minorities in Ukraine are presented in parallel in the Hungarian media with the narrative according to which Transcarpathia should be part of Hungarian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This narrative is shown i.a. in an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pestitv.pestisracok.hu\/2022\/03\/14\/mikor-lesz-beke-soha-politikai-hobbista-mernyo-ferenccel-aki-megjosolta-az-orosz-ukran-haborut\/\">interview<\/a>&nbsp;with PestiTv by Ferenc Merny\u00f3. The man, who is in fact a&nbsp;photographer, was introduced in the program as an expert on Ukraine. During the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pestitv.pestisracok.hu\/2022\/03\/14\/mikor-lesz-beke-soha-politikai-hobbista-mernyo-ferenccel-aki-megjosolta-az-orosz-ukran-haborut\/\">interview<\/a>, he suggested that Ukraine could be&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/atlatszo.hu\/kozugy\/2022\/02\/24\/tisztelet-es-hala-putyinnak-nyilt-kreml-propaganda-fideszes-csatornakon\/\">divided<\/a>&nbsp;\u201ebetween Russia and some NATO member states.\u201d He did not rule out that Transcarpathia would become&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pestitv.pestisracok.hu\/2022\/02\/21\/ukrajna-szakerto-aki-mast-gondol-politikai-hobbista-mernyo-ferenccel\/\">part of the territory of Hungary.<\/a>According to Merny\u00f3, \u201ethere is no such thing as a&nbsp;Ukrainian nation and culture,\u201d and the Ukrainian language is just a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/atlatszo.hu\/kozugy\/2022\/02\/24\/tisztelet-es-hala-putyinnak-nyilt-kreml-propaganda-fideszes-csatornakon\/\">dialect<\/a>&nbsp;of Russian. This statement fits in with the narrative identified in the Political Capital&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital-hu.translate.goog\/hirek.php?article_read=1&amp;article_id=2957&amp;_x_tr_sl=auto&amp;_x_tr_tl=pl&amp;_x_tr_hl=pl&amp;_x_tr_pto=wapp\">report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PestiTv is a&nbsp;private television set up by pro-government businessmen&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/uk-hungary-media-idUKKBN21I1PW\">Mikl\u00f3s<\/a>&nbsp;Vaszili and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/doceo\/document\/E-8-2015-002561_EN.html\">L\u0151rinc M\u00e9sz\u00e1ros<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In turn, a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harcolunkazigazsagert\/\">page<\/a>&nbsp;supporting Orban: Milli\u00f3k Orb\u00e1n Viktor \u00e9s korm\u00e1nya mellett (Hungarian for Millions for Viktor Orb\u00e1n and his government), shared a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/y3p8M\">post<\/a>&nbsp;by Pilhl M\u0171vek. The author of the text describes Ukraine as \u201eartificial states created by the evil of Satan\u201d and states that they must be \u201edismantled\u201d and their territory \u201ereturned to their original owners\u201d, which means making a&nbsp;demand for Transcarpathia to be transferred to Hungary. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/y3p8M\">post<\/a>&nbsp;also accused the Ukrainian government of \u201ekilling thousands of Russian civilians\u201d and \u201edepriving the Russian and Hungarian minorities of the most basic right to use their mother tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Comments posted&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/y3p8M\">below<\/a>&nbsp;suggest that the readers support the views laid-out by the author of the text. One user wrote: \u201eI completely agree with what has been described, it would be fair if Putin returned our old territory to us.\u201d Another commentator referred to the issue of minorities living in Ukraine as follows: \u201cThere are about 10-15 nationalities living in Ukraine. It\u2019s an artificially complex country. \u201e<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth emphasizing that the narrative according to which Ukraine is an artificially created state was present in the pro-government media in Hungary even before the Russian invasion. At the end of January this year, an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/magyarnemzet.hu\/\">article<\/a>&nbsp;appeared on the website of Magyar Nemzet, one of the leading pro-government daily newspaper, in which the author calls Ukraine \u201ea puppet state founded and run by the CIA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Russia is not among guilty parties of the war in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from Ukraine itself, the Hungarian pro-government media blame NATO for the war, as noted in the Political Capital&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital-hu.translate.goog\/hirek.php?article_read=1&amp;article_id=2957&amp;_x_tr_sl=auto&amp;_x_tr_tl=pl&amp;_x_tr_hl=pl&amp;_x_tr_pto=wapp\">report<\/a>. On the Facebook&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/patriotaeuropa\/?ref=page_internal\">page<\/a>&nbsp;Patri\u00f3ta Eur\u00f3pa Mozgalom (Hungarian for Patriotic Movement Europe), with over 210,000 likes, there are posts according to which the US and NATO are responsible for the war in Ukraine. In one of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/f7gFz\">posts<\/a>, the author posted a&nbsp;graphic with the inscription: \u201eThe USA is ready to fight Russia until the last Ukrainian soldier falls.\u201d He added that it was \u201esad, but this is the reality today!\u201d Another&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/H8EaF\">post<\/a>&nbsp;presents a&nbsp;map of NATO countries with the description: \u201ethe roots of the Ukrainian-Russian war!\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Magyar Polg\u00e1ri Egy\u00fcttm\u0171k\u00f6d\u00e9s Egyes\u00fclet (Hungarian Association for Civic Cooperation), which&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.patriotaeuropa.hu\/kategoria\/alapitas-dokumentumai\/2.html\">manages<\/a>&nbsp;the site, is an organization that<a href=\"https:\/\/mpee.hu\/egyesulet\/\">&nbsp;has held&nbsp;<\/a>Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s annual speech on several occasions. Since 2019, the president of the association has been&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mfor.hu\/cikkek\/makro\/orban-miniszterelnoki-biztossa-nevezett-ki-egy-volt-allamtitkart.html\">Mariann V\u00edzkelety<\/a>, former Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ukraine\u2019s military support as a&nbsp;threat to the security of Hungary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Internal political disputes hold an important place in the media coverage in Hungary. It has to do&nbsp;with the upcoming&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/vtr.valasztas.hu\/ogy2022\">elections<\/a>. P\u00e9ter Magyari notes in a&nbsp;commentary for the Demagog that an important topic in the Hungarian media is the issue of the potential sending of weapons to Ukraine. This topic was used by the politicians of the ruling camp to fight the opposition in their campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mertek.eu\/en\/2022\/03\/03\/the-coverage-of-first-three-days-of-the-war-on-ukraine-in-the-evening-news-shows-of-three-major-hungarian-television-channels\/\">The MTVA<\/a>&nbsp;news broadcasts (M\u00e9diaszolg\u00e1ltat\u00e1s-t\u00e1mogat\u00f3 \u00e9s Vagyonkezel\u0151 Alap, Hungarian public broadcaster) reported that opposition politicians would like to send arms and troops to Ukraine. According to the pro-government&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.origo.hu\/itthon\/20220315-magyarorszag-nem-szallit-fegyvereket-ukrajnabaezert-a-magyar-miniszterelnok-nem-megy-kijevbe.html\">Origo<\/a>&nbsp;website, \u201eleft-wing politicians try to out-bid each other about how Hungary should intervene in the war\u201d and \u201eP\u00e9ter M\u00e1rki-Zay talked about sending troops and weapons on quad bikes\u201d. However, messages provided by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.origo.hu\/itthon\/20220315-magyarorszag-nem-szallit-fegyvereket-ukrajnabaezert-a-magyar-miniszterelnok-nem-megy-kijevbe.html\">Origo<\/a>&nbsp;portal are not true. M\u00e1rki-Zay published a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ta70p\">post<\/a>&nbsp;on Facebook saying that \u201cHungary, a&nbsp;NATO member, does not send troops to Ukraine in accordance with the position of our military alliance. Hungarian soldiers have no place in the war of an unpredictable tyrant \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sites that spread pro-Russian propaganda are also against the opposition. An example is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/MfLhf\">photomontage<\/a>&nbsp;showing P\u00e9ter M\u00e1rki-Zay with a&nbsp;cotillion in the colors of the Ukrainian flag in his jacket,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/MfLhf\">published<\/a>&nbsp;by the aforementioned website Patri\u00f3ta Eur\u00f3pa Mozgalom. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/MfLhf\">photo<\/a>&nbsp;was captioned as follows: \u201eyou keep talking about the \u2018Hungarian interests\u2019 when you basically have nothing to do&nbsp;with them except your mother tongue!\u201d The author of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/MfLhf\">post<\/a>&nbsp;thus suggests that the opposition candidate supports Ukraine, which, in his opinion, is contrary to the interests of Hungary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ukraine\u2019s fight as a&nbsp;senseless sacrifice of human life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a&nbsp;commentary for Demagog, P\u00e9ter Magyari notes that a&nbsp;significant disinforming narrative appearing in the Hungarian media is painting a&nbsp;picture according to which Ukraine\u2019s fight is meaningless, and the fact that Ukraine\u2019s giving weapons to civilians and minors \u2013 downright inhuman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bal\u00e1zs N\u00e9meth, MTVA presenter, wrote a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/wKjUt\">post<\/a>&nbsp;in which he suggested that Ukraine\u2019s capitulation and Zelensky\u2019s resignation would be a&nbsp;reasonable decision. N\u00e9meth poses rhetorical questions in his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/wKjUt\">post<\/a>&nbsp;in connection with the war in Ukraine. They concern, inter alia, that \u201cis taking up a&nbsp;fight a&nbsp;good decision? Can I&nbsp;arm civilians? \u201d; \u201eIs it worth risking the lives of tens and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians?\u201d; and finally: \u201eWhat would happen if Zelensky had resigned? Wouldn\u2019t that be a&nbsp;wiser decision? \u201d Zelensky\u2019s resignation is one of Kremlin\u2019s main&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/ukraine-president-says-any-compromises-with-russia-will-require-referendum-2022-03-21\/\">goals<\/a>, and it is part of Russian propaganda to suggest that the Ukrainian president is responsible for the deaths of fighting Ukrainians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>N\u00e9meth also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/wKjUt\">touched<\/a>&nbsp;upon the subject of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. He asked: \u201ecan the president take people of Hungarian nationality to a&nbsp;war? (\u2026) Who should the Hungarians fight for? For Ukraine? For the president? For the government in Kiev? \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hungarian refugee comparisons in 2022 and 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bulcs\u00fa Hunyadi, an expert on right-wing extremism at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital.hu\/our_team.php\">Political Capital<\/a>, notes in a&nbsp;commentary for the Demagog that the Hungarian media juxtapositions the current situation of refugees from Ukraine with the refugee crisis in 2015. At that time, Orban was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-europe-migrants-orban-migrants-idUSKCN0R70TD20150907\">against<\/a>&nbsp;accepting refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Semj\u00e9n Zsolt, the head of the KDNP, one should&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/telex.hu\/valasztas-2022\/2022\/03\/01\/semjen-zsolt-lakossagi-forum-kazincbarcika-demeter-zoltan-borsod-abauj-zemplen-megye\">distinguish<\/a>&nbsp;between Islamist migrants and refugees from Ukraine. There were&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lakmusz.hu\/igy-mondjak-meg-a-kormanykozeli-oldalak-kik-a-valodi-menekultek\/\">posts<\/a>&nbsp;in social media consistent with the narrative contained in the politician\u2019s speech. On pro-government Facebook pages, there are comparisons of photos of people currently fleeing Ukraine with photos of the situation in 2015. Posts of this type were published, among others, by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/3nykk\">Apa mondta.<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/GScW3\">Trombit\u00e1s Krist\u00f3f<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/yX7Ju\">Demokratikus M\u00e9mek<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/T741I\">Albert, a&nbsp;d\u00e9li<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/Wdo26\">BalFake New<\/a>. According to the narrative presented in the posts, Hungarians welcome women and children fleeing the war, while 7 years ago, aggressive men came to Hungary, only claiming to be refugees in need of help. Pictures of calm women and children are a&nbsp;stark contrast with pictures of hostile men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a&nbsp;statement for Demagog Bulcs\u00fa Hunyadi said that, right-wing extremist organizations in Hungary are now also \u201eindignant that non-Ukrainian refugees are arriving, and the Hungarian government allows them to enter Hungary without thorough verification.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hungary-Ukraine relations are not easy, and the center of the dispute is the Transcarpathian region. Nevertheless, Hungarians are committed to helping refugees from Ukraine, and anti-refugee narratives are not that common in Hungary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Prime Minister Orban\u2019s close ties with Russia are not without significance for the current balancing of the Hungarian government between humanitarian aid for Ukraine and the declaration of non-involvement in the military confrontation. Anti-Ukrainian narratives are spreading in Hungary with great popularity, and one of their sources is the media close to the current government. Among those scenarios, the main topics are: responsibility for the outbreak of the war, the improper treatment of the Hungarian minority by the government in Kyiv and the sending of weapons to Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parliamentary elections will be held in Hungary in the beginning of April, so the topic of Ukraine has become one of the areas of political struggle and an opportunity for the ruling party to discredit the opposition.<strong>Disinformation about refugees in Slovakia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do&nbsp;Slovaks support Ukraine?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Slovaks also became involved in helping refugees from Ukraine.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zssk.sk\/ukrajina\/\">&nbsp;As<\/a>&nbsp;in the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cd.cz\/info\/aktuality\/-36295\/\">&nbsp;Czech Republic<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.intercity.pl\/pl\/site\/o-nas\/dzial-prasowy\/aktualnosci\/kolejarze-z-pomoca-dla-ukrainy.html\">&nbsp;Poland<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mavcsoport.hu\/mavinform\/szolidaritasi-jeggyel-utazhatnak-ukrajnai-menekultek\">&nbsp;Hungary<\/a>&nbsp;and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bahn.de\/info\/helpukraine%23en\">&nbsp;Germany<\/a>, Slovakia also offers<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zssk.sk\/ukrajina\/\">&nbsp;free travel<\/a>&nbsp;for Ukrainian citizens on all trains of the national \u201c\u017delezni\u010dn\u00e1 spolo\u010dnos\u0165 Slovensko\u201d (Slovakia Railway Company). Free public transport for all Ukrainian citizens is offered in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/imhd.sk\/ba\/doc\/sk\/21306\/Bezplatn%25C3%25A1-doprava-v-IDS-BK-pre-ob%25C4%258Danov-Ukrajiny\">Bratislava<\/a>, while the authorities of the Ko\u0161ice country, located on the border with Ukraine (equivalent of a&nbsp;Polish voivodeship) offer<a href=\"https:\/\/www.webnoviny.sk\/nasadoprava\/kosicky-kraj-posilni-autobusove-spojenia-zo-slovensko-ukrajinskej-hranice-pre-utecencov-budu-zadarmo\/\">&nbsp;free bus transport<\/a>&nbsp;for Ukrainians from the Ukrainian-Slovak border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the capital of the country,<a href=\"https:\/\/spravy.pravda.sk\/domace\/clanok\/619021-v-bratislave-ziadalo-mier-na-ukrajine-niekolko-tisic-ludi-prihovoril-sa-aj-zelensky\/\">&nbsp;Bratislava<\/a>, as well as in some<a href=\"https:\/\/spectator.sme.sk\/c\/22849996\/bratislava-and-other-slovak-cities-joined-anti-war-protests-around-the-world.html\">&nbsp;smaller towns<\/a>, we can see rallies of support for Ukrainians taking place. Numerous Slovak organizations<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dobrovolnictvoba.sk\/o-nas\/novinky\/detail\/ako-mozem-pomoct-ukrajine\/\">&nbsp;became involved<\/a>&nbsp;in supporting refugees from Ukraine, e.g. Slovak volunteers<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSdrUYTp0jWFMnfAKJ7FFqaUHNfbm_yRTQXsQvLGPNNfzqVdOw\/viewform\">&nbsp;are involved<\/a>&nbsp;in helping Ukrainians at the Bratislava train station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Slovak authorities have officially spoken out against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Prime Minister Eduard Heger<a href=\"https:\/\/ct24.ceskatelevize.cz\/specialy\/rusko-ukrajinsky-konflikt\/3450358-budeme-pripraveni-i-na-statisice-uprchliku-rekl-slovensky\">&nbsp;called Russia\u2019s actions<\/a>&nbsp;\u201ebrutal aggression\u201d and expressed hope that the actions taken by the EU and NATO<a href=\"https:\/\/ct24.ceskatelevize.cz\/specialy\/rusko-ukrajinsky-konflikt\/3450358-budeme-pripraveni-i-na-statisice-uprchliku-rekl-slovensky\">&nbsp;would<\/a>&nbsp;\u201ede-escalate the conflict and put a&nbsp;stop to the Russian aggression in Ukraine\u201d. President Zuzana \u010caputov\u00e1<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=542127207205370\">&nbsp;expressed solidarity<\/a>&nbsp;with Ukrainians, publicly stating that \u201eWe are all Ukrainians \u201e. She also<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/uHGmt\">&nbsp;called<\/a>&nbsp;for a&nbsp;transfer of weapons to Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Slovak government helping refugees from Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From March 1, Ukrainians fleeing the war and their relatives, as well as non-citizens of Ukraine, can receive<a href=\"https:\/\/www.minv.sk\/?tlacove-spravy&amp;sprava=slovensko-od-1-marca-poskytuje-docasne-utocisko-obcanom-ukrajiny-a-ich-pribuznym-k-dispozicii-je-informacny-letak\">&nbsp;temporary aid in Slovakia<\/a>, which<a href=\"https:\/\/www.minv.sk\/?tlacove-spravy&amp;sprava=slovensko-od-1-marca-poskytuje-docasne-utocisko-obcanom-ukrajiny-a-ich-pribuznym-k-dispozicii-je-informacny-letak&amp;subor_spravy=436881\">&nbsp;allows<\/a>&nbsp;access to employment, social welfare, and education for refugee children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Already on February 15th, i.e. 9 days before the Russian invasion on Ukraine, the Public Health Office of the Slovak Republic issued<a href=\"https:\/\/korona.gov.sk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/vyhlaska_21.pdf?fbclid=IwAR08LshE81PkviHCXpiEFgyU0f2CeWjEjNghAoPZIND16pgm7LnnIH0CXxk\">&nbsp;a&nbsp;decision<\/a>&nbsp;that facilitates entry into Slovakia for all fleeing the armed conflict from the territory of the neighboring country. This became the basis of the<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/rosyjska-inwazja-spiskiem-swiatowych-elit-to-falszywa-teoria-spiskowa\/\">&nbsp;fake news<\/a>&nbsp;that the Russian invasion was actually a&nbsp;planned conspiracy of the world\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The number of Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By March 28th, 2022, the Ukrainian-Slovak border was crossed by over<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ministerstvovnutraSR\/videos\/342173367965594\/\">&nbsp;280,000 people<\/a>, of which almost 56 thousand have applied for temporary aid (do\u010dasn\u00e9 \u00fato\u010disko \/ temporary refuge), and fewer than 200 people have applied for asylum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Policemen, firefighters, customs officers, soldiers, members of the clergy, volunteers and members of foreign organizations<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ministerstvovnutraSR\/videos\/342173367965594\/\">are officially involved<\/a>&nbsp;in helping refugees from Ukraine on the border with Slovakia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/data2.unhcr.org\/en\/situations\/ukraine%23_ga=2.205759123.1203121398.1646825447-1493636589.1646230553&amp;_gac=1.26453583.1646825450.CjwKCAiAvaGRBhBlEiwAiY-yMAbwjMMYAWP72Jc_YmgIP1uG96ZCciu_v9F-uXvspsBsBr6oN3Qw6hoCkr4QAvD_BwE\">Data<\/a>&nbsp;from the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (<a href=\"https:\/\/data2.unhcr.org\/en\/documents\/details\/91355\">UNHCR<\/a>) shows that Slovakia is one of those neighbors of Ukraine, whose borders have been crossed by the least number of refugees from Ukraine (as of March 28th fewer Ukrainian refugees go only to<a href=\"https:\/\/data2.unhcr.org\/en\/situations\/ukraine%23_ga=2.205759123.1203121398.1646825447-1493636589.1646230553&amp;_gac=1.26453583.1646825450.CjwKCAiAvaGRBhBlEiwAiY-yMAbwjMMYAWP72Jc_YmgIP1uG96ZCciu_v9F-uXvspsBsBr6oN3Qw6hoCkr4QAvD_BwE\">&nbsp;Russia and Belarus<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, many of them do&nbsp;not treat Slovakia as a&nbsp;final destination, which is confirmed by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ministerstvovnutraSR\/videos\/342173367965594\/\">&nbsp;data<\/a>&nbsp;on the submitted applications for temporary residence.<a href=\"https:\/\/dennikn.sk\/minuta\/2776643\/\">&nbsp;It<\/a>&nbsp;was also confirmed by the Slovak Prime Minister, Eduard Heger: \u201cWe are currently a&nbsp;transit country. Ukrainian citizens go to other countries, to the Czech Republic, to Germany, probably with a&nbsp;vision of a&nbsp;better life. The quality of life in these countries is higher\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/dennikn.sk\/minuta\/2776643\/\">&nbsp;explained<\/a>&nbsp;Heger. The Slovak head of government<a href=\"https:\/\/dennikn.sk\/minuta\/2776643\/\">&nbsp;noted<\/a>&nbsp;that Slovakia has 80,000 jobs vacancies, and Ukrainian refugees may take up employment for jobs that have long remained vacant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is to blame for Moscow\u2019s invasion of Kyiv? Surprising results of the Slovak public opinion poll<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite a&nbsp;clear declaration from the Slovak leaders and the scale of help of the Slovak society, the Slovaks are divided on the assessment of the Ukrainian-Russian war, which is illustrated by public opinion polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of January 2022, i.e. before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Focus agency presented the<a href=\"https:\/\/domov.sme.sk\/c\/22830637\/prieskum-slovaci-vinia-za-napatie-na-vychode-europy-viac-nato-a-usa-nez-rusko.html\">&nbsp;results of a&nbsp;survey<\/a>conducted between 19th and 26th January on a&nbsp;sample of 1,017 respondents. It&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/domov.sme.sk\/c\/22830637\/prieskum-slovaci-vinia-za-napatie-na-vychode-europy-viac-nato-a-usa-nez-rusko.html\">shows<\/a>&nbsp;that 44.1 percent of Slovaks were to blame NATO and the United States for tensions between Russia and Ukraine at that time, and only 34.7 percent pointed to Russia. On February 26th (second day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine), results of a&nbsp;similar<a href=\"https:\/\/domov.sme.sk\/c\/22849948\/prieskum-ukrajina-vojna-rusko-nato-usa.html\">&nbsp;poll<\/a>&nbsp;(conducted on February 25th on a&nbsp;sample of 1,000 respondents) by the OKO agency were announced.<a href=\"https:\/\/domov.sme.sk\/c\/22849948\/prieskum-ukrajina-vojna-rusko-nato-usa.html\">&nbsp;The survey showed<\/a>&nbsp;that over 62 percent. Slovaks blame the war in Ukraine on Russia. 25 percent believe that the US is responsible for Russia\u2019s attack on Ukraine, and 8.9 percent of Slovaks point to NATO\u2019s responsibility. These results cannot be directly summed up \u2013 the respondents could choose from multiple possible answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Russian-Slovak relations and the trap of Pan-Slavism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As presented in the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Image-of-Russia-Mighty-Slavic-Brother-or-Hungry-Bear-Nextdoor.pdf\">&nbsp;report<\/a>&nbsp;\u201eThe image of Russia in Central &amp; Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans\u201d published by Globsec in 2021, Slovakia is one of the most pro-Russian countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Western Balkans (Russian sentiments were examined in countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania, Poland). As much as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Image-of-Russia-Mighty-Slavic-Brother-or-Hungry-Bear-Nextdoor.pdf\">&nbsp;42 percent<\/a>&nbsp;of Slovaks consider Russia as their most important strategic partner (the average for all surveyed countries is<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Image-of-Russia-Mighty-Slavic-Brother-or-Hungry-Bear-Nextdoor.pdf\">&nbsp;30 percent<\/a>, the Serbian society turned out to be the most pro-Russian in this respect \u2013<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Image-of-Russia-Mighty-Slavic-Brother-or-Hungry-Bear-Nextdoor.pdf\">&nbsp;59 percent<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>56 percent of Slovaks<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Image-of-Russia-Mighty-Slavic-Brother-or-Hungry-Bear-Nextdoor.pdf\">&nbsp;believe<\/a>&nbsp;that NATO is deliberately provoking Russia by surrounding it with military bases. This belief became the basis of the<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/bazy-nato-wokol-rosji-manipulacja-ma-uzasadnic-inwazje-na-ukraine\/\">&nbsp;popular fake&nbsp;<\/a>news, which was also circulating after the Russian invasion. The average for all surveyed nations is 45 percent, Poles are the least likely to agree with this view, where only 23 percent of people support the claim of Russia being provoked by NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. \u0141ukasz Lewkowicz from the Institute of Central Europe explains the pro-Russian attitude of some Slovaks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201eAn important role in mutual [Slovak-Russian relations \u2013 ed. Demagog] is played by Russian cultural influence in Slovakia. The official Russian diplomatic institutions operating in Bratislava are very active in promoting&nbsp;<em>soft power.&nbsp;<\/em>Russia uses the still popular ideology of Pan-Slavism and quasi-Russophilia in its disinformation efforts towards Slovakia. In order to strengthen its influence, the Russian side also uses historical politics and a&nbsp;certain sentimental perspective of some in society towards the communist period \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u0141ukasz Lewkowicz, \u201eThe Russian Federation in the internal and foreign policy of the Slovak Republic (1993-2020)\u201d, UMCS Publishing House, 2020, p. 84.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, in the analysis by Dr. Lewkowicz:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201eFrom the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine [2014 \u2013 ed. Demagog] various alternative media presenting anti-Western and anti-Ukrainian narrative are very active in Slovakia. The pro-Russian narrative is also present on social networks, mainly Facebook. Far-right parties, which present themselves as pro-Russian, anti-EU and anti-NATO, are gaining more and more importance on the Slovak political scene. In recent years, Slovakia has also experienced high activity of Russian paramilitary groups, which may pose a&nbsp;threat to the state security system \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u0141ukasz Lewkowicz, \u201d The Russian Federation in the internal and foreign policy of the Slovak Republic (1993-2020)\u201d, UMCS Publishing House, 2020, p. 84.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Are Slovaks vulnerable to disinformation? What does the research say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Voices-of-Central-and-Eastern-Europe-read-version.pdf\">A&nbsp;report \u201eVoices of Central and Eastern Europe<\/a>\u201d, published by Globsec in 2020, shows that among the surveyed countries, Slovak society displays the highest degree of faith in conspiracy theories and disinformation. The report covers Latvia, Austria, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia. In the country of Poland\u2019s southern neighbors, as much as 56 percent of citizens believe disinformation, while it is 17% in Latvia and 20% in Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Poland, according to the cited<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Voices-of-Central-and-Eastern-Europe-read-version.pdf\">&nbsp;report<\/a>, 34 percent of respondents believe in disinformation, in Hungary \u2013 35 percent, and in Romania \u2013 39 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is distributing pro-Russian disinformation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On March 3rd, a&nbsp;Slovak technology company, Gerulata,<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.gerulata.com\/russian-propaganda-network-in-slovakia\/\">&nbsp;published<\/a>&nbsp;a&nbsp;list of pro-Russian actors disseminating pro-Russian propaganda. The list is very long, because \u2013 as its authors<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.gerulata.com\/russian-propaganda-network-in-slovakia\/\">&nbsp;note<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 it includes \u201eopportunists, trolls and useful idiots\u201d. The list also includes actors who are directly linked to Russia, as well as opinion leaders who publish disinformation for genuine reasons or for particular political gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The list of the 10 most influential accounts in Slovakia that have been sharing pro-Russian narratives for years is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u013dubo\u0161 Blaha (Facebook Page)<\/li><li>Slobodn\u00fd vysiela\u010d (Facebook Page)<\/li><li>Ve\u013evyslanectvo Ruska na&nbsp;Slovensku \/ \u041f\u043e\u0441\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u0432 \u0421\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043a\u0438\u0438 (Facebook Page)<\/li><li>Extraplus (extraplus.sk)<\/li><li>Tom\u00e1\u0161 Taraba \u2013 predseda \u017dIVOT NS (Facebook Page)<\/li><li>DAV DVA (Facebook Page)<\/li><li>Hlavn\u00e9 Spr\u00e1vy (Facebook Page)<\/li><li>nocomment.sk (Facebook Page)<\/li><li>Hlavn\u00fd denn\u00edk (hlavnydennik.sk)<\/li><li>Slovensk\u00e9 Hnutie Obrody (Facebook Page)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>According to<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/karinhog\">&nbsp;Karin K\u0151v\u00e1ry S\u00f3lymos<\/a>, disinformation expert from<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icjk.sk\/\">&nbsp;the J\u00e1n Kuciak Investigation Center<\/a>, the most active Slovak actors spreading disinformation about the Ukrainian-Russian war are disinformation portals and Slovak politicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe most visible promoters of pro-Kremlin propaganda and fake news include disinformation portals (such as InfoVojna and Hlavn\u00e9 spr\u00e1vy), but also politicians from parliamentary and non-parliamentary parties. The former chairman of the Slovak parliament and chairman of the Slovak National Party (Slovensk\u00e1 n\u00e1rodn\u00e1 strana) Andrej Danko, member of the Republika party and MEP Milan Uhr\u00edk, former judge and former Minister of Justice \u0160tefan Harabin, use clear pro-Russian rhetoric. The most visible politician is SMER-SD party member \u013dubo\u0161 Blaha, who has a&nbsp;huge number of followers. The Russian embassy in Slovakia also plays an important role in spreading disinformation on this subject. \u201e<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Karin K\u0151v\u00e1ry S\u00f3lymos, disinformation expert from the J\u00e1n Kuciak Investigation Center (Investigat\u00edvne centrum J\u00e1n Kuciak) for the Demagog<strong>Examples of disinformation in Slovakia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Narrative I&nbsp;\u2013 refugees get more support than ordinary Slovaks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Globsec expert<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/people\/dominika-hajdu\/\">&nbsp;Dominika Hajdu<\/a>&nbsp;argues in an interview with Demagog that after Moscow\u2019s invasion of Kyiv, there are three main topics of the pro-Russian narrative, and only one of them concerns refugees from Ukraine. According to it, Slovaks become second-class citizens in Slovakia, and Ukrainian refugees will receive more support from the Slovak government than ordinary Slovaks. Which is not true, as the former<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AndrejKiska\/posts\/520893486068856\">&nbsp;Slovak<\/a>&nbsp;president and founder of the foundation supporting, among others, Andrej Kiska\u2019s sick children describes in the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AndrejKiska\/posts\/520893486068856\">&nbsp;entry<\/a>&nbsp;titled \u201eIt is a&nbsp;pity that our family does not have cancer, or that I&nbsp;am not from Ukraine\u201d.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.minv.sk\/?tlacove-spravy&amp;sprava=slovensko-od-1-marca-poskytuje-docasne-utocisko-obcanom-ukrajiny-a-ich-pribuznym-k-dispozicii-je-informacny-letak\">&nbsp;Aid for Ukrainians<\/a>&nbsp;is aimed at supporting war refugees who were forced to abandon their homes. So it is not that the Ukrainians are fleeing in search of a&nbsp;better existence on a&nbsp;whim, but because of Russia\u2019s invasion on their homeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fanpage<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/neverimfalosnympolitikom\/?__tn__=-UC*F\">&nbsp;Never\u00edm falo\u0161n\u00fdm politikom<\/a>&nbsp;published<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/8F19O\">&nbsp;a&nbsp;post<\/a>&nbsp;in which there was information that on one of the internet forums, the Slovaks allegedly refused to hand over a&nbsp;stroller for a&nbsp;Slovak woman in need, explaining that it was intended for refugees from Ukraine. \u201cThey would rather give to strangers then their own people. What a&nbsp;time to be alive\u201d, we read in the<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/8F19O\">&nbsp;post<\/a>, which received over 1,300 reactions and an additional 500 shares. In another Facebook post we<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hoaxPZ\/photos\/a.317666309061243\/1167784490716083\/\">&nbsp;read<\/a>&nbsp;that the support of the Slovak government for Ukrainian refugees will turn them \u201einto demigods, and the Slovaks in turn will go hungry\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such a&nbsp;narrative is often accompanied by views that helping Ukraine is not in Slovakia\u2019s interest, and Slovak leaders should put Slovak issues first. \u201eDear politicians, do&nbsp;you want to help the Ukraine military? Go there, but don\u2019t involve all of Slovakia in the war\u201d,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/SsLRE\">&nbsp;wrote<\/a>&nbsp;Slovak MEP<a href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/meps\/pl\/197763\/MILAN_UHRIK\/cv\">&nbsp;Milan Uhr\u00edk from the<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hnutie-republika.sk\/\">&nbsp;Republika<\/a>&nbsp;group on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;similar narrative can be found in the entry by MP<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrsr.sk\/web\/Default.aspx?sid=poslanci\/poslanec&amp;PoslanecID=885&amp;CisObdobia=8\">&nbsp;\u013dubo\u0161 Blaha<\/a>&nbsp;from the SMER-SD party, which<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/nKCcs\">&nbsp;refers to<\/a>&nbsp;Slovak Stormers, i.e.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Pavol-Dancak\/publication\/342686909_Philosophical_roots_of_the_slovak_national_revival_movement_in_mid-19th_century_A_case_study_on_the_Memorandum_events_of_1861_in_Turciansky_Sv_Martin\/links\/5f19e6a145851515ef44b412\/Philosophical-roots-of-the-slovak-national-revival-movement-in-mid-19th-century-A-case-study-on-the-Memorandum-events-of-1861-in-Turciansky-Sv-Martin.pdf?_sg%255B0%255D=started_experiment_milestone&amp;origin=journalDetail\">national activists<\/a>&nbsp;who played a&nbsp;key role in the formation of the Slovak nation and the codification of the Slovak language in the 19th century. The politician<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/nKCcs\">&nbsp;criticizes<\/a>&nbsp;attitude of Slovak politicians supporting Ukraine, reminding that the Stormers put Slovak issues first. In another post, the same politician<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100044618700975\/posts\/506786714151948\">&nbsp;published<\/a>&nbsp;an appeal to President \u010caputova and Prime Minister Heger. In it, \u013dubo\u0161 Blaha<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/YfLAJ\">&nbsp;accuses<\/a>&nbsp;the most prominent Slovak politicians that they do&nbsp;not care about Slovaks, but rather focus on helping Ukrainians. A<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/YfLAJ\">&nbsp;photo<\/a>&nbsp;was attached to the post, which read: \u201eThey have money for weapons for Zelensky, not for Slovaks anymore\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Narrative II&nbsp;\u2013 supplying Ukrainians with weapons supports the war<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to this scenario, the supply of military equipment to Ukraine only translates into supporting the war and increasing the number of deaths<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MP<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrsr.sk\/web\/Default.aspx?sid=poslanci\/poslanec&amp;PoslanecID=885&amp;CisObdobia=8\">&nbsp;\u013dubo\u0161 Blaha<\/a>&nbsp;from the SMER-SD party<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/7BXdS\">&nbsp;argued<\/a>&nbsp;on his official Facebook account that the supply of weapons to Ukraine is only in the interest of defense companies and drives the \u201ewar frenzy\u201d. Popular journalist and Youtuber<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/MartinDano1976\/about\">&nbsp;Martin Da\u0148o<\/a>&nbsp;on Facebook&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/114523168591042\/posts\/4976838352359475\">wrote<\/a>&nbsp;that \u201ethe fastest way to end a&nbsp;war is to lose it\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What weapons does Slovakia provide to Ukraine?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOn February 26th, the Slovak government approved aid for Ukraine in the form of supplies of military equipment for approximately EUR 11 million. Specifically, it is about delivering 10 million liters of diesel oil, 2.4 million liters of aviation fuel and 12 thousand pieces of ammunition. Following a&nbsp;telephone conversation between Prime Minister Heger and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Slovak authorities decided to provide additional military equipment worth EUR 4.41 million. The aid was approved on February 27th at an extraordinary government meeting. \u201e<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201d Slovakia in the face of the first phase of the conflict in Ukraine\u201d,<a href=\"https:\/\/ies.lublin.pl\/komentarze\/slowacja-wobec-pierwszej-fazy-konfliktu-na-ukrainie\/\">&nbsp;Institute of Central Europe<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the data of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rp.pl\/konflikty-zbrojne\/art35797061-regularna-pomoc-militarna-naplywa-do-ukrainy-z-19-panstw\">&nbsp;the Ukrainian Ministry<\/a>&nbsp;of Foreign Affairs, on March 3rd, Slovakia was one of 19 countries that supported Ukraine militarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Narrative III&nbsp;\u2013 the US and NATO are responsible for the war in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to this narrative, it was the US and NATO who had been provoking Russia for a&nbsp;long time beforehand, which made Russia feel threatened. Thus, the US and NATO are responsible for Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. Such information can be found, among many outlets, in an article<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/sl7zm\">&nbsp;published<\/a>&nbsp;in 2021 on<a href=\"https:\/\/www.napalete.sk\/\">&nbsp;Napalete.sk<\/a>&nbsp;or in<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/xzqCP\">&nbsp;the piece<\/a>&nbsp;by<a href=\"https:\/\/ereport.sk\/\">&nbsp;Ereport.sk<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth noting that the Russians are the attacking party in this case, and the military support allows Ukrainians to defend their country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pism.pl\/publikacje\/znaczenie-dostaw-uzbrojenia-z-zachodu-dla-ukrainy\">information<\/a>&nbsp;from the Polish Institute of International Studies, on March 3rd, the USA announced additional military support for Ukraine worth USD 350 million, while Canada pledged USD 33 billion, and Australia \u2013 USD 50 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How is Slovakia dealing with pro-Russian disinformation about Moscow\u2019s invasion of Kyiv?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/karinhog\">Karin K\u0151v\u00e1ry S\u00f3lymos<\/a>&nbsp;from<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icjk.sk\/\">&nbsp;the J\u00e1n Kuciak Investigation Center<\/a>&nbsp;praises the actions of the Slovak government in the fight against disinformation about Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlready on the day of the outbreak of the war, they tried to warn people on their profiles that there could be a&nbsp;flood of disinformation and fake news on social media. Some of them revealed and explained why exemplary given statements were not true, \u201d says Karin K\u0151v\u00e1ry S\u00f3lymos. The Slovaks quickly<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ta3.com\/clanok\/229028\/caputova-podpisala-zakon-o-mimoriadnych-opatreniach-v-suvislosti-so-situaciou-na-ukrajine\">&nbsp;adopted the law<\/a>, which, inter alia, amended the Cybersecurity Act. New regulations allow the National Security Office (N\u00e1rodn\u00fd bezpe\u010dnostn\u00fd \u00farad) to block websites that spread disinformation. At that moment, the office<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbu.gov.sk\/urad\/o-urade\/hybridne-hrozby-a-dezinformacie\/zoznam-blokovanych-subjektov\/index.html\">&nbsp;decided<\/a>&nbsp;to block four Slovak-language websites until June 30, 2022: hlavnespravy.sk, armadnymagazin.sk, hlavnydennik.sk and infovojna.bz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An example of good practices in the fight against pro-Russian disinformation may be the official profile of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hoaxPZ\/\">&nbsp;Slovak police<\/a>, where fake news about the Ukrainian-Russian war, popular on the Slovak-language Internet, is debunked on a&nbsp;daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Probably due to the relatively small number of refugees from Ukraine and the fact that they treat Slovakia as<a href=\"https:\/\/dennikn.sk\/minuta\/2776643\/\">&nbsp;a&nbsp;transit country thus far<\/a>, the main topics of disinformation in Slovakia in the context of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine are not limited to Ukrainian refugees. Pro-Russian actors spreading disinformation take advantage of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Image-of-Russia-Mighty-Slavic-Brother-or-Hungry-Bear-Nextdoor.pdf\">&nbsp;pro-Russian attitude<\/a>&nbsp;of a&nbsp;significant part of the Slovak society, as well as the relatively high number of Slovaks believing in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Voices-of-Central-and-Eastern-Europe-read-version.pdf\">&nbsp;conspiratorial content<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is quite disturbing that pro-Russian narratives are spread by currently active Slovak politicians, hugely popular in social media, such as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrsr.sk\/web\/Default.aspx?sid=poslanci\/poslanec&amp;PoslanecID=885&amp;CisObdobia=8\">&nbsp;\u013dubo\u0161 Blaha<\/a>&nbsp;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Particularly noteworthy is the strong pro-Ukrainian sentiment displayed by the most important Slovak political leaders, including Prime Minister Eduard Heger and President Zuzana \u010caputova. Slovaks officially began to fight the pro-Russian propaganda about the Ukrainian-Russian war relatively quickly. An example would be<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ta3.com\/clanok\/229028\/caputova-podpisala-zakon-o-mimoriadnych-opatreniach-v-suvislosti-so-situaciou-na-ukrajine\">&nbsp;the adoption of a&nbsp;law<\/a>&nbsp;that allows the blocking of websites that spread disinformation. It is also worth appreciating the actions of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hoaxPZ\/\">&nbsp;Slovak police<\/a>, which on a&nbsp;daily basis denies the popular fake news about the war in Ukraine.<strong>Disinformation about refugees in Romania<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romanians were&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.lse.ac.uk\/europpblog\/2022\/03\/08\/a-glimpse-of-humanity-how-romanians-have-mobilised-to-help-ukrainian-refugees\/\">actively<\/a>&nbsp;involved in helping refugees from Ukraine. There were created both&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/guv.ro\/posts\/272622318355356\">government<\/a>&nbsp;support plans,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dopomoha.ro\/en\">internet platforms<\/a>&nbsp;offering help, and social initiatives of individual citizens via&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/unitipentruucraina\/announcements\">Facebook groups<\/a>. Protests against Russian aggression against Ukraine are gathering&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.agerpres.ro\/social\/2022\/03\/19\/protest-impotriva-razboiului-din-ucraina-la-bucuresti-participanti-romani-si-ucraineni--887509\">hundreds of participants<\/a>. Demonstrations are held not only in the country\u2019s capital,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.agerpres.ro\/social\/2022\/03\/19\/protest-impotriva-razboiului-din-ucraina-la-bucuresti-participanti-romani-si-ucraineni--887509\">Bucharest<\/a>, but also in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.antena3.ro\/actualitate\/locale\/protest-piatra-neamt-razboi-ucraina-632335.html\">smaller towns<\/a>. Romanians take refugees into their&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotnews.ro\/stiri-razboi_ucraina-25392584-dar-din-dar-face-rai-romani-care-isi-deschid-casele-sar-ajutorul-ucrainenilor-sunt-oarecare-care-putea-fie-azi-ucraina.htm\">homes<\/a>, offer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotnews.ro\/stiri-razboi_ucraina-25392584-dar-din-dar-face-rai-romani-care-isi-deschid-casele-sar-ajutorul-ucrainenilor-sunt-oarecare-care-putea-fie-azi-ucraina.htm\">transport<\/a>, provide&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotnews.ro\/stiri-razboi_ucraina-25392584-dar-din-dar-face-rai-romani-care-isi-deschid-casele-sar-ajutorul-ucrainenilor-sunt-oarecare-care-putea-fie-azi-ucraina.htm\">food<\/a>&nbsp;and help with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotnews.ro\/stiri-razboi_ucraina-25392584-dar-din-dar-face-rai-romani-care-isi-deschid-casele-sar-ajutorul-ucrainenilor-sunt-oarecare-care-putea-fie-azi-ucraina.htm\">translation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Number of refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the latest data of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/data2.unhcr.org\/en\/situations\/ukraine\">623,000<\/a>&nbsp;citizens of Ukraine have entered Romania since the beginning of the Russian invasion of that country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rules for the entry of Ukrainians to the territory of Romania<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukrainian citizens can enter Romania with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/igi.mai.gov.ro\/brosuri-ucraina\/\">valid biometric passport<\/a>.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/igi.mai.gov.ro\/category\/diverse\/proceduri-azil\/\">Asylum<\/a>&nbsp;seekers may also cross the border on the basis of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/legislatie.just.ro\/Public\/DetaliiDocument\/71808\">another identity document<\/a>&nbsp;(ID card, birth certificate) or, in exceptional cases, also on the basis of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/strategy\/priorities-2019-2024\/stronger-europe-world\/eu-solidarity-ukraine\/eu-assistance-ukraine\/information-people-fleeing-war-ukraine_ro\">declared identity<\/a>, without presenting an identity document. Ukrainian citizens do&nbsp;not need a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/visitukraine.today\/departure\/romania\">visa<\/a>&nbsp;to enter Romania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Refugees are admitted to Romania with their&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ansvsa.ro\/blog\/derogari-pentru-intrarea-pe-teritoriul-romaniei-a-animalelor-de-companie-din-ucraina\/\">animals<\/a>. The Romanian National Food Safety and Veterinary Authority (ANSVSA) has granted a&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ansvsa.ro\/blog\/derogari-pentru-intrarea-pe-teritoriul-romaniei-a-animalelor-de-companie-din-ucraina\/\">temporary derogation<\/a>&nbsp;from certain regulations regarding the transport of pets from Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regarding the pandemic legislation, Ukrainian citizens are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.g4media.ro\/cetatenii-ucraineni-care-sosesc-in-romania-exceptati-la-carantina-din-cauza-covid-a-decis-cnsu.html\">exempt from quarantine<\/a>&nbsp;regardless of whether they come directly from their home country or enter Romania across the border with the Republic of Moldova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to be able to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/igi.mai.gov.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Brosura-A5-ENG.pdf?_x_tr_sl=auto&amp;_x_tr_tl=pl&amp;_x_tr_hl=pl&amp;_x_tr_pto=wapp\">work legally<\/a>&nbsp;in Romania, without the need for a&nbsp;work permit, Ukrainian citizens must conclude a&nbsp;full-time employment contract for a&nbsp;maximum period of nine months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Government actions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In relation to refugees arriving in Romania, a&nbsp;number of initiatives were taken at the government level. Among others,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gov.ro\/ro\/stiri\/coordonare-integrata-a-actiunilor-institutiilor-guvernamentale-alaturi-de-societatea-civila-i-organizatiile-internationale-in-vederea-asigurarii-asistentei-umanitare&amp;page=25\">The Working Group on Refugees<\/a>&nbsp;was established and with it individual points in areas within the country\u2019s territory to coordinate assistance to refugees from Ukraine. The Romanian Ministry of the Interior&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mai.gov.ro\/comunicat-de-presa-290\/\">announced<\/a>&nbsp;that \u2018territorial support points are to assess specific needs and be in constant contact with the central-level working group responsible for coordinating all activities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government is also offering&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/legislatie.just.ro\/Public\/DetaliiDocument\/252480\">financial support<\/a>&nbsp;to Romanians who have accepted refugees into their homes. For a&nbsp;period of 60 days, the state will transfer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/legislatie.just.ro\/Public\/DetaliiDocument\/252480\">20 lei per day<\/a>&nbsp;per person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Romanian authorities have also launched a&nbsp;dedicated&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ro\/ro\/pagina\/ukraine-together-we-help-more\">website<\/a>&nbsp;that provides information on government actions for refugees and steps to be taken to obtain&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ro\/en\/steps-to-follow-to-obtain-asylum-in-romania\">asylum<\/a>&nbsp;in Romania. On the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ro\/ro\/pagina\/ukraine-together-we-help-more\">website<\/a>&nbsp;you can also find information about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ro\/en\/medical-services\">medical services<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ro\/en\/the-right-to-work\">right to work<\/a>&nbsp;for Ukrainian citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Romania has developed an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dopomoha.ro\/en\">information platform<\/a>&nbsp;to support Ukrainian refugees with information about their rights in the country where they arrived. On the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dopomoha.ro\/en\">website<\/a>, you can register the need for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/unacoperis.ro\/en\">temporary accommodation<\/a>, as well as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/sprijindeurgenta.ro\/\">apply<\/a>for food, clothes, cosmetics. Romanians can offer help to refugees via the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dopomoha.ro\/en\">platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Quick reactions and long-term help<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the information provided to Demagog by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurocomunicare.ro\/\">Eurocomunicare Association<\/a>, Romania\u2019s response to the current situation regarding incoming refugees is twofold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first layer of intervention is based on emergency responses. In the light of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurocomunicare.ro\/\">Eurocomunicare Association<\/a>&nbsp;comment, this response includes \u2018deployment of resources at major border crossing points, humanitarian transport, shelter, food, basic medical assistance\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second layer of assistance activities focuses on the long-term protection of refugees and the social integration of those who decide to live in Romania permanently. For this purpose, the government has set up&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/newsweek.ro\/actualitate\/guvernul-anunta-sase-grupuri-de-lucru-pentru-refugiatii-ucraineni-care-raman-in-romania\">six working groups<\/a>&nbsp;to develop protection and integration measures in the following thematic areas: health, education, work, housing, people in need, children and young people.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/madalina_turza?lang=cs\">Madalina Turza<\/a>, an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/psnews.ro\/romania-se-pregateste-pentru-a-doua-faza-de-raspuns-in-criza-refugiatilor-din-ucraina-se-vor-infiinta-sase-grupuri-de-lucru-640987\/\">said<\/a>&nbsp;the groups will \u201edevelop an action plan, dedicated measures on each line to support refugees in Romania.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Romanian-Ukrainian relations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Historical relations between Romania and Ukraine are marked by disputes over the territory of Bessarabia. This is due to the annexation of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Bessarabia\">Romanian part of Bessarabia<\/a>&nbsp;by the Soviet Union in the 1940s. After the collapse of the USSR, the territory of Bessarabia was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Bessarabia\">divided&nbsp;<\/a>between Ukraine and Moldova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The friction between Bucharest and Kyiv is also caused by the Ukrainian&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/romania.mfa.gov.ua\/ro\/news\/72159-komentar-mzs-shhodo-zakonu-ukrajini-pro-zabezpechennya-funkcionuvannya-ukrajinsykoji-movi-jak-derzhavnoji\">law on the state language<\/a>. According to the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/2001.ukrcensus.gov.ua\/results\/general\/nationality\/\">census<\/a>conducted in 2001, there are 151,000 people living in Ukraine. Romanians. Romanian media&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/moldova.europalibera.org\/a\/ucraina-limiteaz%C4%83-%C3%AEnv%C4%83%C8%9B%C4%83m%C3%A2ntul-%C3%AEn-limbile-minoritare-inclusiv-rom%C3%A2na\/31031467.html\">wrote<\/a>&nbsp;that the rules introduced by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/moldova.europalibera.org\/a\/ucraina-limiteaz%C4%83-%C3%AEnv%C4%83%C8%9B%C4%83m%C3%A2ntul-%C3%AEn-limbile-minoritare-inclusiv-rom%C3%A2na\/31031467.html\">law<\/a>&nbsp;work \u2018to the detriment of hundreds of thousands of children who speak Romanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian or Polish at home\u2019. The Romanian embassy in Ukraine also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/kiev.mae.ro\/node\/286\">informed<\/a>&nbsp;about such problems of the Romanian minority in this country as: financing the activities of Romanian minority associations, preserving religious identity, representation at the administrative level, lack of parliamentary representation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was also a&nbsp;dispute between Romania and Ukraine over the Serpent Island, which has become a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/03\/03\/technology\/ukraine-war-misinfo.html\">symbol<\/a>&nbsp;of the heroism of Ukrainian soldiers. Located in the Black Sea, 45 km from the coasts of today\u2019s Romania and Ukraine, the island&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.historia.ro\/sectiune\/general\/articol\/insula-serpilor-un-conflict-incheiat\">was taken over<\/a>by the USSR in 1948. During the Cold War,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.historia.ro\/sectiune\/general\/articol\/insula-serpilor-un-conflict-incheiat\">negotiations<\/a>&nbsp;were held several times as to which state should belong to the area, and then, when it was taken over by Ukraine as the \u2018heir\u2019 of the USSR, further&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.historia.ro\/sectiune\/general\/articol\/insula-serpilor-un-conflict-incheiat\">discussions<\/a>&nbsp;in this regard were held with Romania. This issue&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icj-cij.org\/en\/case\/132\">was resolved<\/a>&nbsp;by the International Court of Justice in 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Romanians\u2019 approach to refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inscop.ro\/octombrie-2021-neincrederea-publica-vest-vs-est-ascensiunea-curentului-nationalist-in-era-dezinformarii-si-fenomenului-stirilor-false-editia-a-iii-a-capitolul-1-directia-tarii-taieri\/\">survey<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inscop.ro\/\">INSCOP Research<\/a>, before to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, showed that 12.3 percent Romanians say that Romania should accept all refugees unconditionally, 38.8 percent believes that the country should only accept certain categories of refugees, and 47.3 percent strongly opposes the admission of any refugees. Most of the people accepting refugees are under 30 years old with a&nbsp;university degree. On the other hand, the dominant group among those who are against accepting refugees are people with lower education, above 30 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Social mood in Romania<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most Romanians feel&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/euagenda.eu\/upload\/publications\/anti-western-narratives-in-romania.pdf\">strongly negative<\/a>&nbsp;about Russia. Almost two-thirds of the Romanian population perceives Russia as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inscop.ro\/20-mai-2019-opiniile-romanilor-privind-probleme-de-securitate-nationala-si-politica-externa\/\">the greatest threat<\/a>&nbsp;to the country\u2019s security and, at the same time, as the most important&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategicthinking.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1.07.21-Prezentare-gafica-Capitolul-3.-Sondaj-STG-GMF.pdf\">supplier of disinformation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, Russia\u2019s attack on Ukraine has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ccslarics.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Barometru-de-Securitate-a-Romaniei_CCSL_ISPRI_aprilie-2021-1.pdf\">increased<\/a>&nbsp;Romanians\u2019 confidence in NATO. Parallel to pro-NATO narratives,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotnews.ro\/stiri-esential-25323386-cum-vede-romania-razboiul-informational-dus-rusia-ucraina-interviu-seful-grupului-analiza-pentru-razboi-hibrid-centrului-media-criza-kiev.htm\">nationalist sentiments<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.libertatea.ro\/stiri\/ce-efecte-economice-ar-putea-avea-razboiul-din-ucraina-asupra-romaniei-scenariile-lansate-de-analistii-consultati-de-libertatea-3997569\">fear of the economic consequences<\/a>&nbsp;of the war that will affect Romania are growing.<strong>Examples of disinformation in Romania<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is spreading disinformation in Romania?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As noted in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/funky.ong\/\">Funky Citizens<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/euagenda.eu\/upload\/publications\/anti-western-narratives-in-romania.pdf\">report<\/a>, all communication channels are used to spread disinformation in Romania, but most misinforming narratives are made available online. The most used medium in Romania is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/stirileprotv.ro\/stiri\/ilikeit\/retelele-sociale-preferate-de-romani-dezbatute-de-iulia-ionescu-si-cristian-manafu-tiktok-pare-de-neoprit.html\">Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Ministry of National Defense warns against Russian disinformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The press department of the Romanian Ministry of National Defense published an&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/presamil.ro\/mediul-online-bombardat-de-rusia-cu-fake-news\/?fbclid=IwAR3cK-DvbnBz_91Amj3eETRx7y9HVlka3pG8snT7xg1r38flnvQy84ddoGQ\">article<\/a>&nbsp;on its&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/presamil.ro\/\">website<\/a>&nbsp;in which it provided tips on how to deal with recognizing false information. Among the above-mentioned tips were, among others those related to checking the credibility of the source of information, verification of photos and thorough reading of all texts, not just their headers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Ministry of National Defense also presented the main pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian narratives that can be found in the media. The&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/presamil.ro\/mediul-online-bombardat-de-rusia-cu-fake-news\/?fbclid=IwAR3cK-DvbnBz_91Amj3eETRx7y9HVlka3pG8snT7xg1r38flnvQy84ddoGQ\">article<\/a>&nbsp;notes that Russia is misrepresenting itself as an \u2018eternal victim\u2019 and shows its military intervention as \u2018a forced response to alleged actions by the US, allies and partners\u2019. It added that \u2018Russia accused the US of inciting or organizing riots in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa\u2019. The Romanian Ministry of National Defense also drew attention to the Kremlin\u2019s historical policy, writing that Russia \u201edenies historical events or distorts historical relations\u2019. In the light of the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/presamil.ro\/mediul-online-bombardat-de-rusia-cu-fake-news\/?fbclid=IwAR3cK-DvbnBz_91Amj3eETRx7y9HVlka3pG8snT7xg1r38flnvQy84ddoGQ\">article<\/a>&nbsp;\u2018Russia is spreading the false claim that Western civilization is falling and deviating from traditional values\u2019 because it \u2018works to ensure the safety and equality of LGBTQI + people and promotes concepts such as equality of women and multiculturalism\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Anti-Western narratives in Romanian media<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/euagenda.eu\/upload\/publications\/anti-western-narratives-in-romania.pdf\">Much<\/a>&nbsp;anti-Western content has been disseminated in Romania in recent years. According to a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/euagenda.eu\/upload\/publications\/anti-western-narratives-in-romania.pdf\">report<\/a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/funky.ong\/\">Funky Citizens<\/a>organization, no direct evidence linking the publishers of these materials with the Kremlin has been found, but there is no doubt that supporting this type of narrative serves Russia\u2019s interests. According to the information contained in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/euagenda.eu\/upload\/publications\/anti-western-narratives-in-romania.pdf\">report<\/a>, anti-Western content in Romania is most often disseminated by nationalist politicians and news websites describing themselves as \u2018alternative\u2019, \u2018independent\u2019 and \u2018free\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/funky.ong\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Anti-Western-Propaganda-Report-by-Funky-Citizens.pdf\">the most popular<\/a>&nbsp;anti-Western narratives in Romania appearing on social media is the&nbsp;<strong>anti-NATO narrative<\/strong>, among which fake news about NATO secret armies is common. The example of his presence in the Romanian media is illustrated, by an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/oXm6M\">article<\/a>&nbsp;published on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dir.org.ro\/\">Departamentul de Informa\u021bii Rom\u00e2nia<\/a>. The author of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/oXm6M\">text<\/a>&nbsp;states that \u2018in addition to a&nbsp;large official international army, NATO has other&nbsp;\u00bbsecret armies \u00ab&nbsp;operating in various countries with the tacit consent of their governments\u2019. It accuses NATO of \u2018provoking terrorist attacks, first of all to maintain the atmosphere of tension and fear, and then \u2013 pointing the finger at other&nbsp;\u00bbperpetrators\u00ab\u2019. This narrative is intended to instill confidence in NATO among members of Romanian society, and thus convince them to take the side of Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the anti-Western narratives in the Romanian media, the<strong>&nbsp;anti-EU narrative<\/strong>&nbsp;also stands out. In the light of this type of content, Romania is presented as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/funky.ong\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Anti-Western-Propaganda-Report-by-Funky-Citizens.pdf\">a&nbsp;\u2018second-class\u2019 country<\/a>&nbsp;in the EU, and belonging to the union a&nbsp;bringing the state more costs than real benefits. An example of the use of this narrative is an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/Nl1LC\">article<\/a>&nbsp;published by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gandeste.org\/\">gandeste.org<\/a>&nbsp;website. Romania was described in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/Nl1LC\">text<\/a>&nbsp;as \u2018sad, devastated and brought to the status of a&nbsp;corporate colony under foreign military occupation\u2019 as well as \u2018a colony of the New Soviet Union Empire and a&nbsp;\u00bbStrategic Partner \u00ab&nbsp;(read EU and US)\u2019. The page gandeste.org on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gandeste.org\/\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;(Gandeste Romania \u2013 from Romania. Think about Romania) has over 140,000. likes, and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/Nl1LC\">article<\/a>&nbsp;itself was shared over 500 times on this portal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Narratives questioning the war in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Romania fake news, which are also known in other countries, gained popularity, especially those that spread information that there was no war in Ukraine at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the proofs that the war in Ukraine is a&nbsp;spectacle was to be a&nbsp;film that was published in large numbers in various countries, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/verificat.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.326628V\">Romania<\/a>. The recording shows the bodies wrapped in plastic bags and has been described as if it was supposed to illustrate the victims of the war in Ukraine. One of the characters covered with bags moves at some point in the film, which was supposed to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/fake_news\/nagranie-przedstawia-ofiary-wojny-to-uczestnicy-protestu-klimatycznego\/\">prove<\/a>&nbsp;that the war in Ukraine is a&nbsp;fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AFP Verificat announces an example of fake news that has been spread in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/verificat.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.324G4HE\">many other countries<\/a>. He also did not bypass the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/verificat.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.324G4HE\">Romanian Internet<\/a>. People publishing the video of a&nbsp;man putting artificial blood on his face say that the video proves that there is no war in Ukraine and that the victims of the war are actors. In fact, the movie&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/verificat.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.324G4HE\">was shot<\/a>&nbsp;in 2020 on the set of the series \u2018Contamin\u2019 and has nothing to do&nbsp;with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Russian internet is misinforming about Romania<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stopfake.org\/en\/fake-ukrainian-air-defense-shot-down-romanian-mig-21\/\">Stop Fake<\/a>&nbsp;portal, Russian propaganda media provided&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/rMhwE\">fake news<\/a>&nbsp;about the Romanian MIG-21, which was supposed to be shot down by a&nbsp;Ukrainian missile on March 2, 2022.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/rMhwE\">Rostov.tsargrad.tv<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/yrGZH\">News-front.info<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/poeqU\">Mosregtoday.ru<\/a>&nbsp;and other portals claim that Ukraine shot down a&nbsp;Romanian plane. The articles cite \u2018official Romanian sources\u2019, but the spokesman for the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, brig.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dirp.mapn.ro\/conducere\/spinu.php\">Constantin Spinu<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biziday.ro\/constanta-un-mig-21-lancer-al-armatei-romane-a-disparut-de-pe-radare-la-50-km-nord-de-municipiul-constanta-este-cautat-cu-elicoptere-si-echipe-la-sol\/\">noted<\/a>&nbsp;that \u2018any link between the situation in Ukraine and the crash of the MIG-21 and IAR-330 military planes last night in the Constanta County is excluded\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the Facebook page called \u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u0438 \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 (Russian News and Politics) there is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/jfuF4\">video<\/a>&nbsp;taken from the YouTube channel&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/jfuF4\">\u0410\u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u044b<\/a>&nbsp;(Russian Aspects). The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/jfuF4\">video<\/a>&nbsp;states that Romania, along with Russia, Poland and Hungary, plans to divide the territory of Ukraine and take over part of it. Similar information was disseminated by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ply1m\">uf.ru<\/a>&nbsp;portal, according to which \u2018Poland has already divided Ukraine\u2019. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ply1m\">article<\/a>&nbsp;stated that \u2018the military has already distributed new maps in Poland, where Ukraine is distributed among Poland, Russia, Romania and Hungary\u2019. This&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/geopolityka.net\/piotr-eberhardt-mapa-polityczna-przyszlej-srodkowej-europy-wg-wladimira-zyrinowskiego\/\">map<\/a>&nbsp;is actually&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvp.info\/14506221\/duma-do-polskiego-msz-podzielmy-ukraine\">several years old<\/a>&nbsp;and was created in connection with the letter of&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/duma.gov.ru\/duma\/persons\/99100142\/\">Vladimir \u017byrinowski<\/a>, a&nbsp;deputy of the Russian State Duma, to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The politician advises how the territories of Ukraine should be divided<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>False call-ups into the army<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>False&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=319366830228448&amp;set=a.245536560944809&amp;type=3\">orders<\/a>&nbsp;to join the army appeared on the Romanian Internet, allegedly issued by the military base in Devesel. According to the information contained in the letter, the Romanian military requires the person who received the order to report to the military base in Devesel or other nearby military facility. The communiqu\u00e9 warns that failure to appear is considered desertion and may result in imprisonment. The Ministry of National Defense&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=319366830228448&amp;set=a.245536560944809&amp;type=3\">denied<\/a>&nbsp;this false information and recalled that compulsory military service in Romania&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/legislatie.just.ro\/Public\/DetaliiDocument\/67092\">was suspended<\/a>&nbsp;at the beginning of 2007. The broadcasting of false military orders was aimed at creating information chaos in connection with the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romanian-Ukrainian relations were not perfect, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine made Romanians become involved in helping refugees. Government initiatives as well as social support ideas arose. The Romanian authorities are trying to resist disinformation regarding the war in Ukraine, as evidenced by, inter alia, the activity of the press office of the Ministry of National Defense. Disinforming content appears in Romanian media in line with anti-NATO and anti-EU narratives, as well as questioning the war in Ukraine. In Romania, the main area of spreading fake news is the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article has been&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/demagog.org.pl\/analizy_i_raporty\/ukrainian-refugees-situation-in-poland-hungary-slovakia-and-romania\/\"><em>originally published<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;on the Polish fact-checking project Demagog, part of the EDMO network, on April 4, 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We would like to thank the following experts for their help:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globsec.org\/people\/dominika-hajdu\/\">Dominika Hajdu<\/a>&nbsp;, Globsec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.governance.sk\/gov_person\/veronika-hincova-frankovska\/\">Veronika Hincov\u00e1 Frankovsk\u00e1<\/a>&nbsp;, Slovak Governance Institute<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ivo.sk\/165\/en\/people\/grigorij-meseznikov\">Grigory Mesezhnikov<\/a>&nbsp;, Institute for Public Affairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/karinhog\">Karin K\u0151v\u00e1ry S\u00f3lymos<\/a>&nbsp;, Investigative Center of Jan Kuciak<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hu.linkedin.com\/in\/blanka-z%C3%B6ldi-b6548763\">Blanka Z\u00f6ldi<\/a>, Lakmusz<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital.hu\/our_team.php\">Patrik Szicherle<\/a>&nbsp;i&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/politicalcapital.hu\/our_team.php\">Bulcs\u00fa Hunyadi<\/a>, Political Capital<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/444.hu\/author\/magyarip\">P\u00e9ter Magyari<\/a>, 444.hu<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epc.eu\/en\/analysts\/Ionela-Ciolan~3d5144\">Ionela Ciolan<\/a>, European Policy Centre<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mertek.eu\/\">M\u00e9rt\u00e9k Media Monitor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/funky.ong\/\">Funky Citizens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Presented data is up to date as of 01\/04\/2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The problem of disinformation about the situation of refugees from Ukraine and the host countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania \u2013 summary report<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":183271,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4808],"tags":[4597,4637,3891,4650,4649,2186,217,4612,4613],"class_list":["post-181390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guerra-in-ucraina","tag-disinformation","tag-factchecking","tag-fakenews-2","tag-hungary","tag-poland","tag-putin","tag-russia","tag-ukraine","tag-zelensky"],"acf":{"share_this_post_to_edmo_website":false,"type_of_post":false,"options_for_news_post":{"":""},"options_for_event_post":{"event_start_date":null,"event_end_date":null,"event_location":"","event_programme":""},"options_for_report_post":{"post_author":"","report_type":false,"report_pdf_link":""},"options_for_investigation_post":{"post_author":""},"affiliation":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181390"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186848,"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181390\/revisions\/186848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idmo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}