DISINFO: The EU triggered conflict in Ukraine in 2014
SUMMARY
The EU triggered conflict in Ukraine in 2014. Billion-euro programmes, such as those of the “Eastern Partnership of the EU” (EaP) with six former Soviet republics (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), dictate the so-called European values, expand the sphere of influence and markets. Unwise association agreements and interference by the so-called European politicians in the internal affairs of states sometimes even trigger conflicts, as was the case in Ukraine after the coup d’état in 2014 (and as is currently happening in Venezuela). Deepened free trade with Ukraine has so far had no desired effects: corruption, war, poverty. Do European values look like this?
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the Eastern Partnership, the war in Ukraine and Ukraine's statehood. It was not the European Union, but Russia, which triggered military conflict in Ukraine. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has stated that "the information available suggests that the situation within the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol amounts to an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation". This international armed conflict began at the latest on 26 February 2014 when the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of the Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian government. The European Union stated in July 2014 that "arms and fighters continue flowing into Ukraine from the Russian Federation." Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted Russia's military presence in Ukraine in 2015. Moreover, the European Union supports Ukraine in ensuring a stable, prosperous and democratic future for its citizens. Read more about the Eastern Partnership and EU policy towards its Eastern neighbours here.