Disinfo: Ukrainian ex-president Leonid Kravchuk is looking for new ways to deceive Donbas

Summary

Ukrainian ex-president Leonid Kravchuk is looking for new ways to deceive Donbas. One of the key issues of the Minsk agreements, which Ukraine has not fulfilled for years, is the consolidation of the special status of the self-proclaimed Republics in the constitution of Ukraine. Instead, Kravchuk is discussing the organisation of the free economic zone and ideas to involve civil society in the negotiations. There is even a will to personally go to the rebellious Donetsk and Luhansk and speak directly with the local authorities there. However, behind all these ideas, one can clearly see Zelenskyy himself, his opponents, the upcoming elections, a desire to speak a lot, but not to sign anything.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine and the Minsk Agreements. Ukrainian ex-president Leonid Kravchuk, who is the new representative of Ukraine in the Tripartite Contact Group for the settlement of the situation in Donbas, is not trying to deceive Donbas. For example, he is proposing instead of the concept of "special status" of Donbas to use a new wording - "special regime of administrative management", which will comply with Ukrainian legislation. Over the last 12 months, Ukraine has made serious steps to resolve the conflict in Donbas peacefully. Ukraine initiated a Normandy Four meeting that was held on 9 December 2019. Ukraine agreed that a full and comprehensive ceasefire is necessary. The parties of the Normandy Summit also agreed to release captives on the principle "all for all" by December 2019. Three prisoner exchanges have been conducted, with the last one taking place during the COVID-19 lockdown. The law on special order of local self-government in certain areas of Donbas was extended for another year. A disengagement of troops was achieved in Zolote, Petrivske, and Stanytsia Luhanska. Ukraine also rebuilt a bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska that was destroyed by the pro-Russian militants in March 2015. Moreover, the negotiations in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) have not been suspended due to the coronavirus crisis. The meetings were held in a video format. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Ukraine is trying to compromise and undermine the Minsk agreements, that Ukraine claims that the Minsk agreements are just a piece of paper, that Ukraine refuses to implement the Minsk agreements and continues the war in Donbas, and that Ukraine refuses to observe a truce in Donbas.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 209
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 13/08/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine
  • Keywords: Leonid Kravchuk, Minsk agreements, Donbas, War in Ukraine
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Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolution in Belarus alleging Western attempts to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations. Mass protests in Belarus erupted against the massive electoral fraud which took place at presidential elections on 9 August 2020. According to the EU, the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair. Poland and Lithuania, as well as the EU, have expressed support to people protesting in Belarus.

Read earlier disinformation cases alleging that the EU's aim behind the Eastern Partnership programme is to change the political regimes in Belarus and Russia, that Alyaksandr Lukashenka skipped the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels because the West could organise his killing and that Poland pursues aggressive imperial project Intermarium.

Disinfo: Ukraine and US are behind protests in Belarus

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Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin propaganda narratives about the Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus. There is no evidence that the West is preparing a so-called colour revolution in Belarus. On 3 June, Brussels, Washington and London issued a joint statement calling for free and fair elections in the country, emphasising “that no politically motivated restrictive measures should prevent potential candidates from fulfilling the registration procedure.” “Media freedom and the right of peaceful assembly are essential to legitimate elections,” the diplomatic missions said the same week that a visa facilitation agreement entered into force between Belarus and the EU. It should be noted that the recent presidential elections were considered neither free nor fair by the EU. In the past, the EU and US repeatedly introduced sanctions against Belarusian officials for mass violations of human rights and electoral standards, they have not attempted to stage a colour revolution in Belarus or any other country. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the Belarusian opposition, civic activists and independent journalists make kill lists for Western security bodies, that the pro-Western Belarusian opposition prepares 'kill lists' and genocide, the US global “Anaconda” strategy is to limit the living space of geopolitical opponents, and that the West's objective is to encircle Russia entirely thanks to the "Anaconda ring" and "Great Turan" doctrines.

Disinfo: Eastern European countries are under the influence of Western special services

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Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe, “lost sovereignty” and Russophobia. Eastern European countries are often presented as “puppet-states” of the United States by the pro-Kremlin media. Slovakia is a sovereign state, which shapes its own foreign and domestic policies. The United States established diplomatic relations with Slovakia in 1993. Read more about Slovakia-US relations.

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