Disinfo: Ukraine's NATO aspirations do not contribute to security

Summary

Rumours about Ukraine's NATO accession do not contribute to security. This applies first and foremost to the security of Ukraine itself as these rumours feed war rhetoric in Kyiv. If NATO was interested in maintaining and strengthening Ukraine's security, it should have requested from the country to stop making unfounded statements about its NATO accession. At the same time, NATO should seize offering military support to Ukraine.

Disproof

Recurring disinformation about NATO, and Ukraine's potential NATO membership.

Ukraine is a sovereign state, free to decide which international organisations and military alliances to join. Its relationship with NATO dates back to 1991. Ukraine is one of the strategic partners of NATO. Dialogue and cooperation started when newly independent Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (1991) and the Partnership for Peace programme (1994).

NATO declared that its membership is open to any European state which is ready to respect principles of Alliance and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. In 2008, NATO's Bucharest Summit Declaration mentioned that the Alliance welcomes Ukraine’s and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO. It was recognised that Ukraine (and Georgia) could become a member of the Alliance. This commitment was repeated during the latest NATO Summit in Brussels.

The Alliance respects Ukrainian sovereignty and independence and works closely with the Ukrainian authorities in particular in the framework of NATO-Ukraine commission, Joint working group on defence reform, and other ongoing programs.

It should also be noted that NATO is not trying to use Ukraine as a springboard for aggression against Russia. NATO's military aid to the country focuses on transparency, accountability, resilience and strengthening military institutions. As far as the claim about war rhetoric is concerned, the blame should not be on Ukraine.

Since hostilities broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, NATO and the West in general have been calling on the warring sides for talks. The Minsk Agreements, which were signed in the Belarussian capital in 2014, laid foundations for a peaceful settlement. However, Russia and its proxies are constantly breaking them, placing the blame on the Ukrainian side. Russia is trying to portray Ukraine as the aggressor and itself as an intermediary. However, Russian officials at the same time do not conceal that they support the unrecognised separatist entities in eastern Ukraine.

See similar examples of disinformation alleging that Ukraine cannot become member of NATO because historically it belongs to Russia, or that Ukraine will lose territory because of NATO, or that NATO and the EU inspire Ukraine to continue with the Donbas conflict.

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sputniknews.gr (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 249
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18/06/2021
  • Article language(s) Greek
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia, Ukraine
  • Keywords: NATO, EU/NATO enlargement
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Disinfo: The recent Polish diplomatic misfortunes is a sign of the return of the “Concert of Powers”

Poland is accused by the leading American politicians such as Barack Obama of being an undemocratic country. The USA makes strategic decisions such as the Nord Stream 2 sanctions over the head of Poland. We know well that the German sanctions imposed on Russia are being evaded – their trade is booming in such strategic spheres as energy. The Polish President Andrzej Duda did not have official meetings at the recent NATO’s summit what was a big blow to Polish diplomacy. The Polish Foreign Minister found out about the withdrawal of the Nord Stream 2 sanctions from the media…

All these developments confirm the process of return of the “concert of powers” concept and the division of the regional spheres of influence.

Jun 17, 2021
Disproof

This message presents the idea that the United States and Russia decided to “divide” the world into their “spheres of influence” as it was during the Cold War. It also promotes the idea that the USA and Russia will decide the “fate” of smaller countries by themselves (as it was assumed by the concept of the “Concert of Powers” in the XIX century).

For years, the Kremlin has tried to convince the USA to return to the Cold War practice of division of the regional spheres of influence (calling it a “big deal”), but this demand is rejected by the USA and EU. According to US State Secretary Blinken, the concept of having spheres of influence should have disappeared after WWII – the USA does not recognise such a concept and the Russian claims for “control” over post-Soviet countries.

Disinfo: Poland is becoming an American junior partner on the absolute margin of the US foreign policy

It is a very sad conclusion, but Washington strongly marginalises Poland. Despite the feeling that Poland is a strategic partner for the United States, today, it is becoming a junior partner on the absolute margin of the US foreign policy.

Jun 17, 2021
Disproof

A common pro-Kremlin narrative promoting the idea that Poland is a country without any real international importance or political significance. Poland is often presented as an American “puppet-state”, which does not represent any importance for the USA.

The US authorities have repeatedly stated that they perceive Poland as its ally in Central Europe and one of the strongest US Continental partners. The US and Poland implement such strategically important projects as the increase of the US military presence in NATO’s Eastern Flank, modernisation of the Polish Army, diversification of Polish gas supplies, etc.

Disinfo: Russiagate was baseless and its sole mission was to topple Trump

Opposition groups of the American elite were ready to destroy the entire planet in order to gain power in Washington. Quite simply, the Democratic Party sacrificed relations with Russia, and the strategic stability of the world, as part of a false and baseless campaign whose sole mission was to topple Donald Trump.

Jun 17, 2021
Disproof

This is a recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about an alleged plot against former US president Donald Trump by undemocratic powers, articulated through claiming that Russiagate was a hoax designed to topple Trump.

There were plenty of reasons for US authorities to open an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, as Volume 5 of the Intelligence Committee of the US Senate on Russian Interference in the 2016 election (released in August 2020) shows, which highlights many elements that were not covered by the previous Mueller Report.