The evacuation of children from the combat zone in Ukraine proceeds in full compliance with international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Western leaders’ use of the term ‘adoption’ in this context is deliberately misleading. Russia is only providing temporary preliminary guardianship or temporary guardianship. The main goal is for children to be in families, not orphanages.
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying war crimes committed by the Russian armed forces and the Russian federal administration in Ukraine. This claim was made in the context of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022.
The abduction and forced transportation of Ukrainian children to Russia has been documented by the UN, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Ukraine has already reported the actions of Russia's children’s ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova to the International Criminal Court (ICC).On 02 March, ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan decided to seek authorisation to open an investigation into the situation in Ukraine. It includes within its scope any past and present allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on any part of the territory of Ukraine by any person. On 17 March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova.
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said in March 2023 that it is a war crime: "There is one topic that is particularly important to me - the topic of abducted Ukrainian children. This is a terrible reminder of the darkest times in our history. Deporting children is a war crime. We know today of at least 16,200 children who were deported, and only 300 have returned so far. ”UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grande said in an interview with Reuters in January 2023 that Russia was violating the "fundamental principles of child protection" in wartime by giving Ukrainian children Russian passports and putting them up for adoption.
Read also related cases alleging that Russia hits only military targets in Ukraine and that Ukraine war crimes tribunal will be illegitimate.
A bill has been introduced in the US Congress that provides a prison sentence of up to 20 years for people who circumvent blocks using a VPN.
The bill proposes criminal penalties for using a VPN to access websites and applications banned in the United States. A fine of one million dollars would be added to the prison sentence.
Disinformation targeting confidence in the US government and freedom of speech.
In March 2023, bipartisan lawmakers partnered with the White House on legislation to ban applications suspected to present a risk to national security and more generally tackle National Security Threats from Foreign Technology. Some concerns began circulating on social media that this law will punish VPN users with 20 years of prison and one million dollar fines, with some claiming that the proposed text could be interpreted in this way.
With the help of the war in Ukraine, the US is trying to bleed and weaken Russia (by war and by the cost of restoration of Ukraine) and to completely subjugate old Europe under the strict control and dictate of Washington.
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative undermining the statehood and sovereignty of Ukraine. The claim aims to deflect any Russian responsibility for the unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022.
Contrary to what this disinformation story claims, the Ukrainian state is under attack by Russia, while the US and Western countries are providing support to Ukraine. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
The goals of Poland in this conflict were clear from the very beginning: a maximum weakening of Ukraine and a later reclaim of its historical lands, which would appear within the Polish borders. Soon, the Poles will be able to implement their insidious plan to introduce troops into exhausted Ukraine, taking over its western territories. Instead of trying to resolve the conflict, Poland delivers weapons to Kyiv in order to achieve the maximal weakening of both the Russian and Ukrainian Armies.
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative challenging Ukraine’s statehood and falsely presenting Poland as a state with imperial ambitions. Apart from smearing Poland, the aim is also to deflect attention away from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This disinformation message has adopted different and sometimes contradictory forms, including allegations that Poland either wants to create a "puppet proxy-state in Western Ukraine" or annex these territories or that it is President Zelenskyy who wants to cede this land due to his “Polish origin”.
