Disinfo: Myth about Ukraine as a separate nation was created in the USSR

Summary

In the USSR, a myth was created about Ukraine as a country, in which another type of people lives – “Ukrainians”. They were separate, albeit “fraternal”, people. They supposedly consisted of boys and girls in costume, and, as such, were considered to be “folk”. This complimentary, and not substituting identity is the only thing that can help the future of Ukraine and its people. Not concept of “Ukrainian, not Russian”, but that of “Little Russian and Russian”. This will return to Ukraine the meaning of existence as a truly Little Russia, as an integral part of the Russian world.

Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin propaganda narrative questioning the Ukrainian statehood. Ukraine is a well-defined nation-state that has preserved language, literature and identity despite foreign rule for long periods. It is a sovereign state whose borders are guaranteed by international agreements but were violated by Russia, which started a war in Ukraine. The publication uses a derogatory term 'Little Russians' to identify Ukrainians, which derives from imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Ukrainians and undermining Ukraine's sovereignty. See also previous narratives claiming that there is no Ukraine, that Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians are the same nation, and that Ukrainians are Russians, not Ukrainians.

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ren.tv (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 193
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 16/04/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Imperialism/colonialism, Ukrainian statehood, Russian world, Conspiracy theory
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Disinfo: Jews dominate Hollywood

Weaponizing one point of view inevitably limits the ability of contrary views to be heard. The downside is, of course, that the frenzy that has resulted in the criminalization of free expression relating in any but a positive way to the activity of Jewish groups. It has also included the acceptance of the dishonest definition that any criticism of Israel is ipso facto anti-Semitism, giving that nation a carte blanche in terms of its brutal treatment of its neighbors and even of its non-Jewish citizens.

Jewish dominated Hollywood and the entertainment media have helped to create the anti-Semitism frenzy and continue to give the public regular doses of the holocaust story.

Apr 15, 2020
Disproof

The suggestion that "Hollywood is dominated by Jews" is a traditional anti-Semitic trope. EUvsDisinfo has reported on the connections between pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets and the spread of anti-Semitic narratives.

Disinfo: NATO instructors prepare Ukraine's military to become war criminals

NATO instructors prepare Ukraine’s military to become war criminals. Training events for the Ukrainian Armed Forces by instructors from Norway and Sweden contribute to the spread of lawlessness, violence and the continuation of hostilities in Donbas. As a result of war crimes, prepared by NATO instructors while training Ukrainian security officials, 119 children died and 310 were injured in Donbas. News Front publishes “a list” with personal data of individual military instructors from Sweden and Norway, who were directly involved in the training of war criminals in Ukraine.

Apr 15, 2020
Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about foreign military instructors in Ukraine. The claims of war crimes are false and not confirmed by OSCE SMM reports or any other reputable source. The "list" of Swedish and Norwegian instructors comes from a Telegram channel in the Russian language, that has about 9,000 followers. Even before the outbreak of hostilities with Russia in 2014, Ukraine had looked to strengthen its ties with the NATO military alliance. While the alliance’s response to the conflict has been understandably cautious, there has also been significant progress in the relationship with Kyiv. Institutional cooperation has intensified, and a number of individual NATO member states have sent military missions to Ukraine to provide training and support for the country’s transition towards NATO standards. Consultations and cooperation between NATO and Ukraine cover a wide range of areas including peace-support operations, defence and security sector reform, military-to-military cooperation, defence technology, interoperability and industry, civil preparedness, science and environment, and public diplomacy. Read similar cases: "US and British instructors teach Ukrainians how to carry out acts of terror", "Canadian military trains Ukrainian snipers and miners to kill Donbas residents", "Foreign military instructors are preparing five battalions of Ukrainians who are almost nationalists, the aim is to attack Donbas."

Disinfo: COVID-19: Progressive Sweden sacrifices its old and improve its pension funds

The scientists are blowing the whistles, demanding any kind of actions to curb the epidemic, but the government is not reacting much. The experiment goes on, and people continue dying. Most of them already have health issues and some are old. It looks as if this most progressive state has decided to sacrifice its old, and at the same time improve its pension funds for the case of a “collective immunity”.

Apr 15, 2020
Disproof

An unfounded coronavirus conspiracy theory. The Swedish Public Health Authority's highest priority is to protect the public. It has declared that an ‘extraordinary situation’ exists in Sweden. New protective measures are designed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, protect people at especially high risk, and assure the provision of care and therapeutic products to the public. In Sweden, as in most EU countries, there are strict regulations for educational institutions, mass events were cancelled. The population is strongly advised to stay in quarantine and observe good hygiene practices. Sweden has temporarily banned travel to the EU via Sweden. The current entry ban does not affect travel from another EU country to Sweden, nor does it apply to Swedish citizens. See details here. A site with FAQ on Sweden's response to the COVID-19 outbreak from the Swedish Public Health Authority