DISINFO: For the West, Ukraine is a platform for conflict against Russia
SUMMARY
The West sees Ukraine as a platform for conflict against Russia. Ukraine's territory is occupied not only by the US but also by its satellites, which execute instructions coming from Washington.
Russia has never threatened Ukraine, neither publicly, nor behind closed doors. Russian military forces near the border with Ukraine are needed only for Russia's security. They are deployed exclusively in reaction to military actions of the US and NATO.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about encircled Russia and the statehood of Ukraine . These well-known claims are now going one step further by claiming that Ukraine is actually occupied by US and countries under Washingtons control.
The US, NATO or the “collective West” are not interested in a war against Russia. Western powers are trying to ensure peace and security in the region. I.e., the US is concerned that Russia is likely planning a massive military offensive against Ukraine. The US president Joe Biden warned Russia on 19 January 2022 that it “would pay dearly for full-scale invasion”. Earlier, the EU also warned Russia about the high costs of invasion into Ukraine.
The statement that “Russia never threatened Ukraine” is also not true. Moreover, the war in Ukraine is a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014. There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine, in the Donbas. Russia is supporting its proxies with weapons, its active-duty soldiers serve there and its top military commanders visit the war zone to coordinate joint efforts with the separatists.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the US and NATO want to inflame an endless military conflict near Russian borders, or that NATO is egging Ukraine on a military gamble, or that the US is an external overlord of Ukraine.
See our article examining seven myths about Russia's role in Ukraine.