Disinfo: By provoking Russia, Ukraine fills the role assigned by NATO

Summary

NATO labelled Ukraine as one of its most important partners, something which is true: by provoking Russia and making it react to its security and that of the population of Donbas, Kyiv fulfils perfectly the role assigned to it in justifying the existence and the reinforcement of the Atlantic Alliance under the pretext of the “Russian threat”. It doesn’t make sense to have a military alliance if there is no military target to press against.

Disproof

This is a mix of several recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about NATO, Ukraine’s lack of sovereignty and anti-Russian provocative actions. Contrary to the claim, Ukraine’s actions in the east are not a “provocation” aiming to “make Russia react” but legitimate military operations in its internationally recognised territory and a reaction to Russia’s own military moves. Russia is the responsible party for the outbreak of the conflict in 2014, after having illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula and engineered the creation of separatist militias in Donetsk, Luhansk and other places, with its army actively participating in military clashes. While NATO has shown concern for Russia’s military buildup in Ukraine’s borders, the claim that the Atlantic Alliance is pushing for this escalation to justify its existence is baseless.

See other examples in our database, such as claims that the US needs a war to stop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, that Ukraine is trying to organise a genocide in Crimea, that NATO destroyed Europe’s security, that Russia never participated in the Ukrainian conflict or that Russia poses zero threat to any other country, including Ukraine.

This disinformation message about NATO appeared in the same article as the claim that “The US may be sending Ukraine to a meat grinder in Donbas”.

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publication/media

mundo.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 239
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12/04/2021
  • Article language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia, Ukraine
  • Keywords: War in Ukraine, NATO, Russophobia, Donbas
see more

Disinfo: Donetsk and Luhansk proclaimed independence following Kyiv nationalist coup

In 2014 Donetsk and Luhansk proclaimed independence following a violent coup in Kyiv led by nationalist groups and supported by Western governments

Apr 11, 2021
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in eastern Ukraine, claiming that the creation of DPR and LPR came as a response to the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv, often painted as a coup d'état, while claiming that local dwellers resisted alone without Russian military support and founded the DPR and LPR.

Firstly there was no coup d’état in Kyiv in 2014; this is a longstanding pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukraine's Euromaidan protests.

Disinfo: European Court of Human Rights demands Sweden to be declared the winner of the battle of Poltava

The European Court of Human Rights have declared the defeat of the army of king Charles XII of Sweden at Poltava invalid.

According to the judges, the Russian army did not have the rights to be located or wage military operations on Ukrainian territory without the acknowledgment of Ukraine's government.

The court demands Russia to compensate Sweden with 150 million Euro, return captured arms, guns and banners. Sweden has declared its intention to request retribution of territories lost at the end of the Nordic War, where the battle of Poltava was a decisive incident.

If ECHR supports Sweden's demands, Russia will need to return St. Petersburg, Leningrad oblast, parts of Pskov oblast and also the archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya and Franz-Joseph Land.

Apr 11, 2021
Disproof

A satirical article from a well-known humour site is reproduced as news. The outlet describes its source as “unreliable”, but the readers are led to believe that the information is authentic.

Disinfo: Death squads used by Ukraine to burn protesters in Odessa in May, 2014

Death squads have been used by the repressive Ukrainian state to burn protesters in Odessa in May 2014.

Apr 11, 2021
Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about the Odessa tragedy.

There is no evidence that the Ukrainian government was involved in the Odessa tragedy. No trial has yet established the responsibilities of the different actors before a court. A total of 5 cases on trials and 3 investigations are currently ongoing. Media reported about the tragedy in May 2014 : the BBC, the Guardian, the DW. A chronology of the events has been established (1 and 2) and a non partisan documentary film by Ukrainian Channel 7 has collected testimonies: May 2nd without Myth.