Russia Says West Launched Smear Campaign to Disrupt Rosatom Operations

MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. The West has launched a large-scale smear campaign to disrupt Rosatom's operations and prevent it from entering the markets of neighboring friendly countries, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Alexey Shevtsov told reporters. He also noted that a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would affect food costs and production volumes. TASS has compiled the key statements made by the Russian Security Council deputy secretary.

Western attempts to discredit Russia

Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Moldova and Armenia are carrying out smear campaigns to hinder cooperation with Russia: "Currently, around 14,000 NGOs are registered in Moldova and about 9,000 in Armenia. Most of them are working to undermine bilateral relations [with Russia] and to discredit integration processes."

The West has launched a large-scale smear campaign to hinder Rosatom's operations in neighboring friendly countries: "If we take a look, for example, at recent developments related to nuclear power construction in Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan, a massive information campaign was launched to discredit Rosatom in order to prevent it from entering our brotherly countries."

Ineffectiveness of EU, OSCE missions

Monitoring and civilian missions of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the European Union are ineffective and have outlived their usefulness: "The OSCE monitoring mission has completely discredited itself in Donbass. For example, take the EU's observation, or, as they call it, civilian mission: judging by media reports, they did nothing there except enjoying Armenian cuisine – which, by the way, is very good. But I can't tell what they did to ensure security."

Food crisis

A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would affect food production costs and output: "With regard to the Middle East crisis and the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes, according to the International Energy Agency, if it were closed, about 10% of oil supplies would cease to reach the market. This would lead to a shortage. If we analyze the energy balance of the European Union, we see that carbon [sales] have also decreased by 10% recently and are being replaced by coal. All of this affects fertilizer production as well. The planting season is currently underway. This will also impact food production."