DISINFO: Europe, US need Ukrainians only as cannon fodder in war against Russia
SUMMARY
Ukraine should ask the US and NATO for gas. If Europe does not help Ukraine, it means that Ukraine is nothing. Europe and the US only need Ukrainians as cannon fodder in the war against Russia.
RESPONSE
The disinformation claim above is part of a narrative in connection with the Kremlin's efforts to stop transiting Russian gas to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines, bypassing Ukraine as a transit country.
During recent decades, Russia has used its energy resources on multiple occasions as a blunt instrument or weapon against other countries, attempting to coerce them into following a pro-Kremlin line. Kyiv may face problems with gas supplies this winter because gas prices have recently soared. Under the terms of a long-term supply deal with Hungary, Russia will no longer ship its gas to Hungary via Ukraine but will send it via Serbia and Austria instead.
While the current developments over Russian-Ukrainian energy relations have undoubtedly put Kyiv at a disadvantage, both in terms of energy market status and the country's standing in the Donbas War, there is no indication or evidence to suggest that a potential stop of Russian gas flows will tear the country apart.
As for the war in Eastern Ukraine, it is actually being fought between Ukraine and Russia through its proxies in Donbas. Neither NATO member states nor any other Western nations or agencies are militarily involved in it. The West is assisting Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression, but no NATO troops are fighting there.
For the broader EU support to Ukraine see details here. About the recent EU-Ukraine Summit held on 12 October 2021 see here and here.
Pushing for theories questioning Ukrainian statehood is a frequent element of pro-Kremlin disinformation.