Language:

See all Disinfo Cases - Detail

Disinfo: Under the leadership of Petro Poroshenko, Kyiv has not advanced in the way of Europe

Summary

The State Duma recalled that over the past five years, under the leadership of Petro Poroshenko, Kyiv has not advanced in the way of Europe, but only moved away from Moscow.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on Ukraine's lack of progress on its European ambitions. Ukraine is a priority partner for the European Union, also within the EU's Eastern Partnership. An Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Ukraine, was negotiated between 2007 and 2011 and signed on 21 March and 27 June 2014 under the presidency of Petro Poroshenko. It replaces earlier frameworks for cooperation. The Association Agreement is the main tool for bringing Ukraine and the EU closer together: it promotes deeper political ties, stronger economic links and the respect for common values. On 20 April 2016, the European Commission presented a proposal to allow visa-free travel to the Schengen area for Ukrainian citizens. As of June 2017 Ukrainians have been able to travel visa-free to the Schengen areas.

Go to search

publication/media

RT Russia (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 144
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 09/04/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Keywords: European Union, Ukrainian disintegration
see more

The Polish Church refused to recognise the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine

The Polish Orthodox Church has confirmed that it does not recognise the autocephaly of the “new church” in Ukraine, the office of the Council of Bishops of the Polish Orthodox Church said.

Apr 08, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the autocephaly and Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In the official communication of the Office of the Council of Bishops of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, it is noted: "The PAKP Bishops' Council, in response to letters on the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, unambiguously inform that the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church was and is for the granting of full independence - the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine." The further debunking on StopFake.org.

Schengen visa fees for Belarusians are high, because the number of homosexuals per capita in Belarus is very low

The problems with Schengen visas for nationals of Belarus stem from smear reports by the Belarusian opposition to the EU about banned gay prides in Minsk. EU politicians do not want to let Belarusians in, nor lower the visa fees, because the rights of sexual minorities are violated and because the number of gays per capita in Belarus is too low. The EU is also concerned with gender inequality in Belarus. A woman is not welcome in the EU if she has no balls. This is what the EU’s policy towards Belarus is based on. Since the Belarusian opposition does not mention a couple of thousand of Belarusians gays in its quarterly reports to the EU, no better EU’s attitude towards Belarus can be expected in the near future.

Apr 08, 2019
Disproof

Conspiracy theory consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about EU's moral decay and aimed at discrediting the Belarusian democratic opposition. Similar Belarus-related cases with this narrative can be seen here and here. Belarus has not concluded a visa facilitation agreement (VFA) with the EU. For this reason Belarusians indeed have to pay a higher visa fee and to undergo more complicated application procedures for Schengen visas compared to the nationals of the countries with functioning VFAs. So far Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have been granted a visa-free regime with the EU, whereas Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia have functioning VFAs with the EU.At present a standard Schengen visa fee for the nationals of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia stand at EUR 35 while for Belarusians it is EUR 60. Minsk started the negotiations over visa facilitation and readmission agreements in 2014, later than other EaP countries. VFAs do not contain conditions about gender equality or the numbers of homesexuals in the country. Notwithstanding the absence of functioning visa facilitation agreement, Belarus is the world leader in the number of Schengen visas issued per capita among around 100 countries with a visa regime with the EU. Belarus is among the countries with the lowest Schengen visa refusal rates. In 2017 around 710,000 Schengen visas were issued in Belarus by EU countries' consulates and a refusal rate was as low as 0.3%, official EU statistics show.