There is a map circulating that would indicate a long series of NATO bases on the borders with Russia. The narrative supported by the image is to indicate the Russian Federation as “surrounded by the enemy” in order to justify the Kremlin’s belligerent actions in Ukraine and beyond. The map, however, shows bases that do not exist at all and which are located in countries that are in no way part of the Atlantic Alliance. Consider that a NATO base is even indicated on Russian territory.
For those in a hurry
- The map shows an imaginary NATO base on Wrangel Island which is part of the Russian Federation. This is not possible at all.
- The map shows phantom NATO bases in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, countries that are not actually part of the Atlantic Alliance.
- The only NATO member countries bordering Russia are Poland, Estonia, Lithuania (from before 2022) and Finland (from 2023).
- The map indicates phantom NATO bases in Kazakhstan, a country that has been part of the so-called “Russian NATO” since 1992: the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
- In 2022, CSTO troops were sent during the uprisings in Kazakhstan.
Analyses
Here is an example of sharing the fake map:
I often wonder why Russia positioned itself right in the middle of all those NATO bases.. and what the fuck!! A little crianza, go!!
The diffusion is not recent, it has been around for some time:
I’m not a Putinian, but explain something to me: if Russia is in yellow, the blue rods are the NATO bases and you were Putin, wouldn’t it hurt your ass a little, knowing that if they were to attack you, the confetti would come from all the parts?
It was spread on Twitter/X https://twitter.com/DiegoFusaro/status/1773015586093617180 with an appeal based on falsehood:
Be ready, soon the propaganda warriors will explain to you that it is all Russia’s fault, which chose to position itself there in the middle of the NATO bases to annoy the lords of good with the stars and stripes.
Are there NATO bases in Russia? Obviously not!
Those who share the map do not realize that a non-existent NATO base on Russian territory is indicated. According to those spreading it, it would be located on Wrangel Island controlled by the Kremlin.
NATO member countries
The bases of the Atlantic Alliance are located in the territories of the member countries. Here is the list on the official website with the respective membership dates:
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, two countries joined the NATO Defense Alliance: Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024). Below are Russia’s borders with the NATO countries before (Poland, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) and after the entry of the two new members:
On the NATO website it is possible to view the presence of the Alliance at a global level and it does not correspond to that of the image distributed online:
It has been circulating for years and with non-existent bases in non-NATO countries
The map of the elusive NATO bases that surround Russia has been circulating for years, as we can see from this https://twitter.com/russophileLs/status/1589603724242350080 of 2022 where it is cited together with another:
In both, NATO bases or American bases are indicated in territories where this is not possible. In addition to the Russian island, we find points scored in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, which are in no way part of the Atlantic Alliance.
Kazakhstan is part of the “Russian NATO”
In 2023, the “International Security” website directed by Alessandro Orsini published an article entitled «Kazakhstan: fake news on “NATO structures” in the country».
What is not said by those who spread the fake map of the elusive NATO bases is that Kazakhstan is part of another alliance. This is the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), founded in 1992 by Russia and Kazakhstan together with other countries of the former Soviet Union: Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. During the 2022 riots in Kazakhstan, Organization troops were sent to quell them.
Conclusions
The map of the imaginary NATO bases shared to support Russia’s belligerent actions is in fact a hoax. Non-existent bases are indicated in territories that could not be part of NATO, such as Russia itself and Kazakhstan.
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