Disinfo: Ukraine's post-Maidan government came to power as a result of a coup d’état

Summary

Ukraine's post-Maidan government came to power as a result of a coup d’état.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Euromaidan portraying the 2013-14 Ukrainian revolution as a coup d'etat.

This narrative portrays the massive popular protests in Ukraine in 2013-2014 as a coup d’état orchestrated by the United States and/or other Western actors to overthrow the then pro-Russian government of Victor Yanukovich.

There was no coup d'état in Ukraine: the Maidan uprising, named after the Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) square in Kyiv that gathered the protesters, was a spontaneous popular protest that arose following an unexpected change of policy by then-President Yanukovich. This spontaneous popular uprising was born within Ukrainian society, uniting citizens of all ages, sexes and social classes. The Ukrainian population rallied against then-President Yanukovich's refusal to sign the EU-Ukraine Association agreements, cancelling seven years of negotiations, in favour of a more Russia-aligned policy, distancing Ukraine from the European Union.

Yanukovich literally abandoned the city of Kyiv and the Ukrainian government on 21 February 2014 following the signing of an agreement aimed at stopping the escalation and collapse of the situation caused by the bloody government crackdown against Euromaidan protesters. The crackdown on protesters during the Euromaidan clashes in 2014 led to over 80 deaths between February 18 and 20: this was followed by the Ukrainian parliament distancing itself from President Yanukovych, who in the meantime had secretly taken refuge in Russia.

Read similar cases claiming that A violent coup d’état took place in Ukraine in 2014, that The US supported the 2014 coup d’état in Ukraine or that The EU supported an unconstitutional coup d'état in Ukraine led by the US.

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it.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 258
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 02/09/2021
  • Article language(s) Italian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine
  • Keywords: Coup, Euromaidan, Viktor Yanukovych
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Disinfo: Polish fence on the border with Belarus is meant to frighten Poles with a perspective of war

The ruling Polish elite is trying to cut all ties with the East using the rhetoric of war. The most recent manifestation of this process is the construction of a fence on the Polish-Belarusian border. This border fence has a primarily a symbolic meaning – it is supposed to introduce a permanent division between "us" and "them", creating an additional barrier against the East. The border fence sends a message that it is necessary to prepare for war – it frightens the society with the perspective of war.

Sep 01, 2021
Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative about the ongoing migration crisis on the eastern border of the European Union directly caused by the Belarusian authorities.

On 23 August 2021, the Polish authorities announced the construction of the fence on the border with Belarus to stop the ongoing influx of irregular migrants orchestrated by the Belarusian regime. According to the position of the Polish authorities, the ongoing situation on the Belarusian border is a hybrid attack on Poland in order to destabilise the country and the entire EU.

Disinfo: Lithuania does not want to help investigate the genocide of the Belarusian people

Lithuania refuses to provide legal aid for Belarus in the criminal case regarding the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War. Earlier Belarus asked to interrogate identified members of the Lithuanian punitive battalion, including Valdemar Hubert Laimutis Adamkevicius who is non-other than the former president of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus.

Sep 01, 2021
Disproof

The message exploits a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Nazi/Fascist Baltic States.

The current “genocide of Belarusian people” case by Belarusian prosecutors lacks evidence and is based on doubtful legal and historical ground (see public broadcaster LRT publication “Minsk seeks to extradite members of ‘Lithuanian SS batalion’ that never existed”).

Disinfo: Poland replaces the anniversary of the WWII outbreak with the date of the Soviet invasion

Poland appears on the way to oblivion. For several decades, the anniversary of 1 September has been gradually pushed out of public awareness by the commemoration of 17 September. There is a slow process of transformation of historical consciousness and the historical identity of the Poles in the direction consistent with the current political interests.

Therefore, in the sphere of historical symbolism, 1 September is mentioned less and less, and is replaced by 17 September. This situation fits the artificially constructed historical and international identity of Poland. Today, Poland looks for its only ally overseas [the USA], while it appears in conflict with all its neighbours.

Sep 01, 2021
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it repeatedly accuses Poland of the “falsification and re-writing” of its history for political goals.

The claims that Poland tries to replace the 1 September anniversary [date of German invasion - WWII outbreak] with the commemoration of 17 September [date of the Soviet invasion] is untrue. Every year, September 1 is commemorated on the highest state level with the participation of the top-level Polish officials (annual ceremonies at Wieluń and Westerplatte).