DISINFO: The West is deliberately prolonging the conflict in Ukraine to harm Russia
SUMMARY
With its actions, the West is deliberately causing the prolongation of the conflict. Despite the difficulties they face in the US and Europe, Washington and NATO continue trying to aggravate the situation in Ukraine to counter Russia. For the US and the Alliance, this is a way to keep European countries tied to it, preserve Washington’s hegemony and harm Russia even if it goes against their own internal needs.
RESPONSE
This is a mix of several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about destabilising Russia, attacking the West for arming Ukraine and portraying European states as US subordinates. By claiming that the West is “deliberately prolonging the conflict”, this disinformation message tries to portray Russia as as a victim, and to undermine public support for Western weapons being delivered to Ukraine for its defence against Russia’s unprovoked aggression. Contrary to this allegation, Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to Russia’s unjustified invasion of its peaceful neighbour, while arming Ukraine was a sovereign decision of each one of these countries.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that by arming Ukraine, the US and the UK want to push Russia against Europe, that Western weapons are stolen long before they reach the Ukrainian soldiers, that Syrian and Libyan terrorists have been spotted in Ukraine trading Western weapons, or that Western weapons supplies to Ukraine are exacerbating the conflict.