Disinfo: Russia is not a part of the conflict in Donbas and cannot fulfil the Minsk agreements

Summary

Russia is not a part of the conflict in Donbas and cannot fulfil the Minsk agreements. Some Moscow partners are demanding that the Minsk peace agreements for the Donbas be fulfilled. But this is impossible because Russia is not a part of the conflict and is not even mentioned in this agreement.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, claiming that Russia is not part of the conflict in Donbas and that Russia has nothing to do with the war in Eastern Ukraine. The Minsk agreements (the 2014 memorandum and 2015 plan of action) is the roadmap to the stabilisation of the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk. It is true that both documents do not mention Russia as a side involved in the war, however, the documents do not mention the sides whatsoever. Still, the Minsk agreements do not define the conflict in Ukraine as "internal" but state clearly (paragraph 10) the need to withdraw “all foreign armed formations, military equipment, as well as mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under the monitoring of the OSCE.” There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine. The EU condemns the clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014. The European Union stated in July 2014 that "arms and fighters continue flowing into Ukraine from the Russian Federation". At the NATO Summit in Wales in September 2014 and at successive summits since then, NATO leaders condemned Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in the strongest terms and demanded that Russia stop and withdraw its forces from Ukraine and along the country’s border. NATO leaders also demanded that Russia complies with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities; end its illegitimate occupation of Crimea; refrain from aggressive actions against Ukraine; halt the flow of weapons, equipment, people and money across the border to the separatists; and stop fomenting tension along and across the Ukrainian border. The so-called People's republics DNR and LNR receive humanitarian, financial and military backing from Russia. An InformNapalm study shows that thirty-one weapons systems found in the Donbas entered service with the Russian military between 2004 and 2015 and have never been produced in, or sold to, Ukraine. In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted Russia's military presence in Ukraine. Read similar narratives about Ukraine's role in the conflict and the Minsk Agreements.

Go to search

publication/media

Sputnik Germany (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 175
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27/11/2019
  • Outlet language(s) German
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Eastern Ukraine, Minsk agreements, Donbas, War in Ukraine
see more

Disinfo: The US and UK interfere in Europe's affairs and try to destabilise it

The second most important reason [behind the destabilisation of the political situation in Europe] is the interference of outside powers, especially the United States and Britain, in the political life of continental Europe. The United States has no interest in reshaping the EU into a strong and capable structure. That would threaten America’s interests in Europe.

Nov 26, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe, portraying Europe as a vassal of the USA and trying to undermine the sovereignty of European countries. Additionally, the claim that the UK interferes in European affairs and aims to destabilise it is completely baseless and not backed up with any evidence.

In fact, the EU Member States are sovereign countries and make sovereign decisions about their own security and policies. The US is an important ally to the EU but EU policy is not determined by the US, as explained by the EU High Representative.

Disinfo: NATO is a relic of the Cold War

NATO is no longer a single military bloc. NATO is a relic of the Cold War. Since then, NATO is just a financial scheme. For those who pump money out of nothing. For the countries without economies, hoping for external military financing, аnd for the arms corporations.

Nov 26, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, undermining NATO's role as a defensive military alliance. NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect its member states. Concerning the claim, that NATO is the relic of the Cold War, at the London Summit in 1990, Allied heads of state and government agreed "to keep standing together, to extend the long peace". This was their sovereign choice and was fully in line with their right for collective defence. Since then, thirteen more countries have chosen to join NATO. Twice since the end of the Cold War, NATO has adopted new Strategic Concepts (in 1999 and 2010), adapting to new realities. Thus, rather than being disbanded as a relic, NATO adapted, and continues to change, to live up to the needs and expectations of Allies, and to promote their shared vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea and amid emerging security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa in 2014, NATO leaders at the Wales Summit adopted the Readiness Action Plan, a comprehensive package of enhanced collective defence and deterrent measures designed to ensure the transatlantic alliance could respond swiftly and firmly to changes in its security environment. Apart from that, NATO membership is not a financial scheme for profit. Member countries make direct and indirect contributions to the costs of running NATO and implementing its policies and activities. The defence expenditure of NATO members "represent payments by a national government actually made, or to be made, during the course of the fiscal year to meet the needs of its armed forces, those of Allies or of the Alliance." In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of two per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for defence expenditures. According to NATO, the defence capacity of each member country has an important impact on the overall perception of the Alliance’s credibility as a politico-military organisation. See several other anti-NATO narratives such as NATO is monstrous Cold war relic, NATO cultivates Cold War thinking and considers Russia as an enemy, NATO is fully subordinated to the USA; Baltic states, Moldova, Poland are NATO “hostages”.

Disinfo: Militants with the help of White Helmets are planning new provocations in Syria

Terrorist groups are planning provocations in Syrian Idlib with White Helmets. Terrorists are going to stage airstrikes and chemical attacks on the territories of the de-escalation zone. Also, militants are already conducting a “casting” among local residents to participate in the filming.

Nov 26, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin conspiracy theory painting the White Helmets as terrorists and shifting blame for chemical attacks in Syria away from the Assad regime. The White Helmets are a staple topic of pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives on the Syrian civil war, having already been accused of numerous other provocations and war crimes including organ trafficking; aiding terrorist organizations; staging and/or perpetrating chemical attacks, sometimes with the help of Western intelligence agencies. These claims are not supported by evidence. Notwithstanding the Kremlin's repeated "warnings" of imminent chemical attacks (real or staged) to be carried out by Western actors, available evidence stubbornly continues to link such incidents to the Syrian regime. By September 2018, UN human rights investigators had identified 39 chemical attacks perpetrated in Syria since 2013, of which 33 were attributed to Damascus. See similar cases claiming that White Helmets and terrorists are jointly preparing new chemical provocations in Syria and that White Helmets are involved in the production of videos of staged chemical attacks. See here on the importance of White Helmets in Russian and Syrian disinformation.