DISINFO: Maidan protests in Ukraine were staged, neo-Nazis and nationalists were behind them
SUMMARY
After 6 years the video footage of Maidan protests looks differently: if in February 2014 young, inspired faces of students, believing in the European integration and ideals of freedom were beamed to the TV screens around the world, now the hands of puppet masters are obvious. And in the background there is an actual army of the Ukrainian revolution, – neo-Nazis and nationalists.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Euromaidan protests in 2014 in Ukraine.
The demonstrations that began in Kyiv in November 2013, called "Maidan" or "Euromaidan", emerged organically as a result of the Ukrainian people's frustration with former President Yanukovych's last-minute U-turn on the highly anticipated EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which had been under negotiation for seven years. The protests were followed by Presidential and parliamentary elections.
Far-right groups had a very limited presence during the protests and have suffered defeats in every national election.
See previous disinformation narratives alleging that the 2014 Ukraine coup was orchestrated by neo-Nazis, Euromaidan was a coup supported by the US, the Donbas problem arose after the Kyiv coup, Euromaidan was a coup fomented by Victoria Nuland and that Violent protesters killed 38 policemen during the Kyiv coup.