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Disinfo: Kyiv favours those who support Nazi views

Summary

What is the new Ukrainian government? It is a government that found the people who tore down right-wing monuments but did not find those who vandalised the monument to the victims of the House of Trade Unions in Odessa. And they don’t even bother looking for them. What is the problem? The Ukrainian government puts people who support Nazi views, those who desecrate monuments, higher than those who defend this memory.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Nazis and fascism in Ukraine.

The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy.

Far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan itself and had poor results in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary elections. The "Right Sector" candidate received 0.7% of the vote in the May 2014 presidential elections and the party received 1.8% of the vote in the October 2014 parliamentary elections. In the 2019 election cycle far-right candidates fell short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.

Read similar cases alleging that after Maidan, Ukraine became ruled by Nazis, Ukrainian authorities introduce Nazi laws to oppress Russian speakers and that Ukraine is a Neo-Nazi state.

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publication/media

russia.tv (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue174
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 22/11/2019
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Keywords: Ukraine, Euromaidan, Nazi/Fascist

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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The US and EU control Ukraine

Ukraine never existed as an independent state. The country is under external control.

November 26, 2019
Disproof

Another conspiracy theory that the United States and the European Union control Ukraine’s foreign and domestic policies.

Ukraine is an independent state whose sovereignty is respected both in the EU and in the USA. The United States recognised Ukraine as an independent state on December 25, 1991. Since then, Washington has been working closely with Ukraine, directing its assistance to support the development of a safe, democratic, prosperous and free Ukraine, fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community. The European Union also supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Ukraine is a priority partner for the EU. In June 2014, the EU and Ukraine signed an Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, which promotes deeper political ties, stronger economic links and the respect for common values.

Europe is in danger because of Ukraine’s gas dispute

On the predicament in which Kiev put Moscow, on the issue of transit of gas to Europe, the latter, from the first of January, .., with a complete cessation of gas transit (from Russia).. could face energy problems.

November 26, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative blaming Ukraine for the disruption to the gas talks between Russia and Ukraine and plans to cut gas transit from Russia to the EU.

Europe is not "catastrophically lacking gas". On the contrary, there is enough natural gas supply resulting in a fall in prices in Europe this year. This is because the continent has been flooded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a number of suppliers since Autumn 2018, including the United States. A mild winter in Asia has driven gas prices to a three-year-low and caused LNG shipments to be redirected to Europe, pushing down the prices. As Polygraph explains, energy experts say LNG has allowed natural gas to become a global commodity that can easily move from one continent to another depending on demand, similar to the way oil is traded.

Ukrainian ships violated naval safety rules in 2018 Azov Sea confrontation

Russia detained three Ukrainian vessels which  attempted to cross the Kerch Strait on 25 November 2018. Both Ukrainian and Russian ships have passage rights, but there are strict safety rules, which Moscow said the Ukrainian Navy had breached.

The conflict stopped short of bloodshed and resulted in the arrests of the Ukrainian sailors and their ships for “violation of territorial waters.”

November 26, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the November 2018 Kerch Strait incident.

The so-called "safety rules" referred to in the report are not the internationally recognised standards enshrined in long-standing treaties and customary law, but rather a set of makeshift guidelines which Russia unilaterally adopted in 2015 and Kyiv never recognised, given that the regulations are based on Russia's illegal claim to Crimea. Since then, Russian patrols have routinely carried out arbitrary arrests of Ukrainian and foreign ships, demanding that all vessels give "advance notice" of passage through the Kerch area, contrary both to the provisions of the 2003 agreement and to actual navigation safety guidelines.