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Disinfo: Russophobia has become a normal thing in Ukraine

Summary

Russophobia has become a normal thing in Ukraine, even outside of politics. Cultural and educational exchanges, as well as contacts between relatives, have almost been forbidden.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobia in Ukraine.

Ukraine is not a fascist, Russophobic country as often claimed by the Kremlin media. It had to react to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas. However, Ukraine has not forbidden contacts between citizens of Ukraine and Russia, as well as sports, cultural, scientific or other exchange. The borders [with Russia] are open. It still has direct bus and train connections with Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.

1.464 million Russian citizens visited Ukraine in 2017, placing Russia in third place behind Moldova and Belarus. The majority of Russian citizens came to Ukraine on private trips. 31,140 of Russians came as part of cultural, scientific, and educational exchanges.

Ukrainians are also visiting Russia. In 2017, 4.4 million Ukrainian citizens crossed the border with the Russian Federation.

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publication/media

Pervyi Kanal [from 47:45 to 48:12] (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 159
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/07/2019
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Russia, Ukraine
  • Keywords: Ukraine, Anti-Russian, Russophobia

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.

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There is a civil war in Eastern Ukraine

We are talking about the president of a country with an ongoing civil war, where an army takes part in an internal conflict, where people are killed, and where peaceful citizens continue to die.

July 12, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, attempting to portray it as a civil war. It disregards the extensive factual evidence confirming ongoing Russian military presence in Donbas.  Prior debunks of this narrative can be found here and here.

The war in eastern Ukraine is not a civil conflict, but an act of aggression by the Russian armed forces, that continue since February 2014.

Kyiv is dissatisfied with the fact that many in Ukraine consider the Crimea Russian

Verkhovna Rada proposed to introduce criminal punishment for not recognising Crimea as part of Ukraine. The emergence of such an initiative may appear because in Ukraine a huge number of people consider Crimea as part of the Russian Federation.

Ukrainians acknowledge this fact and treat it with understanding. In this regard, the Ukrainian authorities, despite five years of brainwashing their people, despite the anti-Russian rhetoric, could not overcome absolute reality.

July 12, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea and recognition of Crimea as Russian territory. 

Only 4% of Ukrainians admit that Crimea is Russian, according to a survey by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Razumkov Centre's Sociological Service.