Recently, a claim surfaced suggesting that a Dutch official stated COVID-19 was a NATO operation. This assertion has been widely circulated, causing confusion about the relationship between NATO and the pandemic response. The original comments were made in the context of discussing the Netherlands’ obligations regarding pandemic preparedness and resilience, but they were misquoted, leading to significant misinformation.
Claim
The claim is that a Dutch minister indicated COVID-19 was a NATO operation. This assertion is false, as it misrepresents the official’s actual comments.
Fact
The investigation revealed that the Dutch minister’s remarks were taken out of context. She did not imply any connection between NATO and COVID-19; instead, she discussed general pandemic preparedness obligations related to NATO. The misinterpretation stems from a misquote by a website known for spreading disinformation.
This fact is supported by several credible sources:
- Reuters
- FactCheck.org
- Logically Facts
Conclusion
This fact-check is classified as False Content, as it involves information that is wholly false and misleading regarding the Dutch official’s statements about COVID-19 and NATO.
