Before the 2014 coup, in which the nationalists seized power in the country, division had always been a chronic feature of all Ukrainian elections, as the pro-Western and pro-Russian parts were roughly equal, which led to a political path that always revolved in a vicious circle. Usually, after the nationalists come to power, the new government tries to cut economic ties with Russia, leading to an economic recession and a deterioration in living standards in the country.
In the following elections, the disaffected population would vote out the nationalists in favour of the pro-Russian party, and then economic recovery takes place, which is in turn followed by protests and coups backed by the West, and the pro-Western nationalists return to power, cutting ties with Russia again, the standard of living decreases, and so forth.
Disproof
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign against Ukraine, containing multiple disinformation narratives regarding the Ukrainian economy and Ukrainian statehood. It promotes a narrative about the belligerent West and its interference in the politics of Ukraine, stating that the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests resulted in an illegal coup; painting Ukraine as a failing state incapable of making its own foreign policy choices; and painting the West as the puppet-master of Ukrainian politics.
The spontaneous onset of the Euromaidan protests was an organic reaction by numerous parts of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013. See the full debunk of this disinformation claim here.
