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Disinfo: Ukrainian authorities betrayed the memory of WWII veterans

Summary

Refusing to officially celebrate Victory Day, Kyiv authorities accept the historical lies and betray the memory of their ancestors.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative distorting the events of the Second World War.

Ukraine did not abandon the memory of their ancestors in the Second World War. The following is stated in the law of Ukraine "On Perpetuation of the Victory over Nazism in World War II of 1939-1945". According to the law, each year on May 9, Ukraine celebrates "The Day of Victory over Nazism in World War II (Victory Day)" as a national holiday. The law was adopted in order to pay tribute to the memory of all the victims of the Second World War of 1939-1945 and the reverent attitude of care for war veterans, participants of the Ukrainian liberation movement and victims of Nazism.

At the end of February 2020, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko said that Ukraine, "like all the European continent, 75 years later, [is] ready to understand why this tragedy happened and ready to forgive each other. It should be a celebration of the fact that the continent has been in relative peace for the last 75 years, apart from our 6 years of war".

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publication/media

tvzvezda.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue187
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 29/02/2020
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Keywords: USSR, Historical revisionism, WWII

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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Ukraine is Russophobic and refused to celebrate Victory Day

Ukraine continues the policy of Nazism and Russophobic hysteria, refusing to celebrate Victory Day on May 9. In Ukraine, they betrayed their own ancestors and sided with the Nazis.

March 04, 2020
Disproof

This is the Kremlin’s systematic disinformation campaign that Ukraine is a Nazi state. Negative articles in Russian media are caused by Ukraine’s refusal to take part in the celebrations of the "75th Anniversary of the Great Victory" in Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko emphasised that Ukraine intends to grieve on this day instead of celebrating. “Our position now remains the way it is: no, we are not going to celebrate May 9. We, like the entire European continent, are ready to understand why this tragedy happened 75 years later and are ready to forgive each other,” Prystaiko said. Since 2015, in the framework of the law on decommunisation, on May 9, Ukraine began to celebrate "Victory Day over Nazism in World War II of 1939-1945." The holiday replaced the "Victory Day" over fascism in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". The relevant law No. 2539 “On the Perpetuation of the Victory over Nazism in World War II of 1939 - 1945” was adopted on April 9, 2015, by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The law defines the sacred duty of the state and citizens of Ukraine to respect the memory of the victory over Nazism in WWII: war veterans, members of the Ukrainian liberation movement and the victims of Nazism. At the same time, while respecting the memory of those who fell during WWII, the use of Soviet symbols was cancelled. Instead, now the official symbol of the celebration of the Day of Victory over Nazism in WWII is the red poppy flower - the generally accepted symbol in the world for the celebration of memorable days of WWII. Also, together with the EU countries, on May 8, Ukraine annually celebrates Remembrance and Reconciliation Day. The holiday is celebrated on the day of the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945.

Turkey and Estonia refuse Sputnik’s reporting

The most recent of journalistic difficulties was the arrest by the Turkish authorities of the editor-in-chief of Sputnik Turkey and three journalists when they were reporting threats against them, which were all released the same day because there was no evidence to prove the charges against them.

In Estonia, the bank accounts of the employees of Sputnik were frozen, while those who continued working with the agency from home received legal threats from the police. Sputnik Estonia journalists reported that they had previously received letters from the Estonian police and border guards that included direct threats to open lawsuits against them if they do not cut all work relations with the Russian news agency.

March 04, 2020
Disproof

As part of a narrative to emphasize an alleged Anti-Russian movement, different incidents have been falsely linked to each other.

Turkish police detained 4 journalists of Russia’s Sputnik Turkiye news agency including editor-in-chief. According to the state-run news agency Anadolu, the journalists were “briefly detained” for investigation in line with Turkish Penal Code for "insulting the Turkish nation, Turkish republic and state institutions", and "disturbing the unity of the state and the solidarity of the country”, over a report on a disputed referendum that gave the southern province of Hatay to Turkey in 1939.

Terrorist organisations, the US and UK’s irregular troops, may be used against China

Islamic State fighters are gathering in Afghanistan, they may bring trouble to the Central Asian countries and force China to take action. As many experts say, terrorist organisations are the US and UK’s irregular troops which are used to reach these countries’ goals. The impact on China will be multifactorial, including terror.

March 04, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of a broader conspiracy theory alleging that the United States or the UK have links to terrorist organisations and that they aim at destabilising China through the Hong Kong protests and other methods. In fact, both the UK and the US were part of the global coalition against ISIS / Daesh, and the claim about the West's plans to destabilise China through terrorist organisations is groundless. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the United States raised the Islamic State terrorist organisation, the US is helping terrorists in Afghanistan, that Hong Kong protests are the West’s revenge on China for not waging war against Russia, and that the White Helmets were created by Western security bodies and they have connections with terrorists.