Russians manipulate Nobel Prize in Chemistry, attributing discoveries to Soviet scientists - NSDC Center for Countering Disinformation

Russian propaganda is trying to use this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry for its manipulations. In particular, they are spreading the message: "Americans received the Nobel Prize for the developments of Soviet scientists." This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, writes UNN.

Details

The authors of such publications claim that the foundation of metal-organic frameworks (MOF), for which scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi received the 2025 prize, was allegedly laid in the USSR. Russian sources emphasize that Soviet chemists studied coordination polymers and porous structures back in the 1970s, and therefore they are the "true authors" of the discovery.

The National Security and Defense Council notes that in reality, this narrative is manipulative. Russians are once again resorting to pseudo-historical distortion of reality. There is no direct continuity between the studies. The scientists who received the Nobel Prize, unlike Soviet scientists, did not just describe the idea — they brought it to a practical result. This is what meets the requirements of the Nobel Committee.

Russians are trying to discredit the Nobel Prize, to present it as "unfair." Propaganda seeks to create the impression that the Western world "constantly robs Russia" to evoke a sense of resentment and national revanchism among Russians.

Recall

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi. They were recognized for their development of metal-organic frameworks, which have large cavities for molecule penetration.