DISINFO: Military operation was launched because Kyiv did not implement Minsk agreements
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: oroszhirek.hu (archived)*
  • Date of publication: April 06, 2022
  • Article language(s): Hungarian
  • Reported in: Issue 279
  • Countries / regions discussed: Russia, Ukraine
Tags:
Minsk agreements War in Ukraine Donbas EU/NATO enlargement

DISINFO: Military operation was launched because Kyiv did not implement Minsk agreements

SUMMARY

Moscow launched its operation after Ukraine failed to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements signed in 2014 and Russia finally recognised the Donbas republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

RESPONSE

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, actively trying to legitimise Russia’s invasion of the country. This narrative is claiming that Ukraine is responsible for the war because the country did not implement the Minsk agreements.

Contrary to the claims, the main impediment to a peace settlement in Donbas before the invasion was, in fact, Russia’s and its proxies’ deliberate unwillingness to implement the Minsk agreements. Moscow has been illegally providing weapons to the separatists since 2014.

Moreover, in late October 2021, Russia deployed as many as 190,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, as well as certain specialised military units, electronic warfare systems and heavy-armoured vehicles generating great concern in Ukraine, Europe and across the world.

On 21 February 2022, after weeks of extreme tensions, President Vladimir Putin decided to recognise the non-government controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (administrative regions) in Ukraine as independent entities and to send Russian troops into these areas. This way, Russia has clearly violated the Minsk agreements.

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine. The EU condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and imposed the toughest restrictive measures on Russia. Read more about the EU response and support for Ukraine.

For further debunking of myths related to the Minsk agreements see the EUvsDisinfo article addressing the most common disinformation claims preceding the invasion.

Embed

Related disinfo cases

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.

    Your opinion matters!

    Data Protection Information *

      Subscribe to the Disinfo Review

      Your weekly update on pro-Kremlin disinformation

      Data Protection Information *

      The Disinformation Review is sent through Mailchimp.com. See Mailchimp’s privacy policy and find out more on how EEAS protects your personal data.