The Kremlin's propaganda stating that European cities have switched off festive street lights due to austerity measures has been exposed by Russian speakers living in Europe, who started a viral social media trend.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recently claimed that European cities are being forced to abandon festive lights because they lack the money to pay electricity costs.
“The European Union is plunging into darkness,” she said.
The statement didn’t go unnoticed by Russian speakers living in Europe, who shared videos of their cities with Christmas markets and shiny decorations, which came into stark contrast to Zakharova’s claims.
“Mrs. Zakharova is sincerely worried about European cities,” one user said in a video from Trieste, Italy, showing multiple Christmas trees covered in lights.
“So, we are not going to upset her?” they asked ironically.
Those living outside the bloc, in countries like the United Kingdom and Switzerland, also joined the trend to battle the Kremlin’s propaganda.
“I’m sitting in Europe, looking through the video, and thinking, who should I believe? It’s so beautiful in Germany. Christmas markets, all streets, all houses are decorated with garlands, everything is shining,” another user wrote on Instagram.
The European Union started phasing out Russian energy exports after Moscow launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The move was especially painful to Russia, whose budget heavily relies on revenues from oil and gas exports.
Since then, Russian propaganda has spewed multiple energy-related claims, including that Europe is “running out of gas and freezing in winter.”
President Vladimir Putin himself falsely claimed that Europeans are paying huge energy bills and are starving.
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