Disinfo: NATO and US push Ukraine to war with Donbas

Summary

The West is pushing Ukraine to war. Today, the country is being crammed with offensive weapons, many of which are already on the front line [in Donbas]. The United States and other countries do not stop there. They pay for mercenaries and specialists who train Ukrainian soldiers to fight against the civilian population of Donbas. All this suggests one thing: NATO, and, in particular, the US, demand that Kyiv repeat the 2014 scenario.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, claiming that it is the West, not Russia, fomenting the war in Ukraine. This claim is a part of a wider disinformation campaign, as our article explains, aiming to deflect attention away from Russia’s military build-up on its border with Ukraine since late October 2021.

Neither the US nor NATO nor the West push Ukraine to the war in Donbas. The weapons that Ukraine received in recent weeks are of defensive nature. These weapons are intended to use against possible further Russian aggression against Ukraine.

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. Despite all this Russia officially denies its military presence in Donbas.

See similar disinformation cases in our database: Accusations against Russia intend to divert attention from Ukraine's attempts to disrupt peaceful settlement of Donbas conflict; Chemical weapons "provocations" are prepared in Donbas; the West is preparing provocations in Ukraine.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 271
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 01/02/2022
  • Article language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, US, UK
  • Keywords: War in Ukraine, Eastern Ukraine, Donbas, NATO
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Disinfo: A coup government handpicked by the US was established in Ukraine

After months of protests massively supported by the West, Viktor Yanukovych signed an agreement with the Western-backed opposition, brokered by the foreign ministers of France, Poland and Germany. The very next day, this agreement was no longer worth the paper it was written on. The presidential palace, unprotected under the agreement, was stormed and a coup government handpicked by the US was established. It was also immediately recognised by the mediators of the agreement. This was the first major diplomatic misstep (leaving aside the fact that the EU ultimatum would not have been issued without German consent).

Disproof

There was no coup d’état or Putsch and no "US-handpicked" government in Kyiv in 2014; this is a longstanding pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukraine's Euromaidan protests to erode the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government and political system.

The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was a reaction from several segments of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013, after pressure from Russia. See the full debunk The Western-backed coup in Ukraine has torn the country asunder.

Disinfo: Security situation in Donbas is worse thanks to Ukraine

The situation in Donbas deteriorated dramatically on 9 January, when Ukrainian troops resumed shelling along the entire contact line after a long ceasefire. Now, the Ukrainian army has deployed special operations forces to the Donbas contact line and is conducting reconnaissance operations, despite the fact that this is prohibited by the agreements.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, claiming that Ukraine refuses to implement the Minsk agreements.

These claims are part of an ongoing disinformation campaign about Russia’s military build-up on the border with Ukraine. By blaming Ukraine for the escalation of tensions, this disinformation story aims to deny any Russian responsibility for the situation.

Disinfo: By arming Ukrainians, the West is triggering a conflict with Russia

By arming Ukrainians and sending them to the border with Russia, the West is not preventing the conflict but increasing its probability a hundredfold. Sooner or later, the weapons handed over by the “partners” will start firing, and this fact can activate a mechanism that will provoke a quick and inevitable collapse of Ukraine with a complete loss of not only independence but also statehood.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about war in Ukraine and the escalation at the Ukraine-Russia border.

As of the beginning of 2022 Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops and equipment on the borders of Ukraine including in the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.