Disinfo: Oppression of the Russian language provoked war in Donbas

Summary

Language is what provoked the war [in Donbas]. When this happened, why did they adopt the law banning the Russian language when we have an 85% to 90% Russian-speaking population?

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, the Euromaidan and the status of the Russian language in Ukraine.

The war in Eastern Ukraine was provoked by the pro-Russian separatists and the mercenaries funded and supported directly by Russia. There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine. The international community, including the European Union, recognises and condemns clear violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014 when Russia intervened in Crimea and annexed the Ukrainian peninsula on March 16, 2014.

The war was not provoked by language issues. On the contrary, many Ukrainian citizens from the predominantly Russian speaking Southern and Eastern oblasts actively participated in the events in the Euromaidan and supported the European integration of Ukraine. According to a survey, 27% of Euromaidan participants were Russian speakers and 18% were bilinguals.

It is not true that 85-90% of the Ukrainian population is Russian-speaking. According to the latest survey, 27% of Ukrainian citizens use the Russian language in their everyday communication; the Ukrainian language is preferred by 51% of Ukrainians and 21% are bilinguals.

The law on regional languages was repealed by the parliament of Ukraine on February 23, 2014. However, the decree was not signed. The law officially expired only on February 28, 2018, when the Constitutional Court of Ukraine declared the law unconstitutional. Additionally, the Constitution of Ukraine protects the languages of national minorities.

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Reported in: Issue 175
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20/11/2019
Language/target audience: Russian
Country: Ukraine
Keywords: Eastern Ukraine, Russian language, War in Ukraine, Donbas
Outlet: Lyudi Donbasa s Kirilom Vyshynskim @ ria.ru time 11:50-12:10

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November 26, 2019

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.

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.