Disinfo: USSR was forced to go to WWII only in June 1941

Summary

World War II was initiated by Nazi Germany when it attacked Poland on September 1, 1939. On the 3rd of September, Britain and France were forced to declare war on Germany. The Soviet Union did not declare war on anyone but saw that it was necessary to send its forces to liberate lands in the western republics of Ukraine and Belarus from the Polish occupation and prevent their occupation by Germany. The Soviet Union was forced to go to war on June 22, 1941, after Germany assaulted it.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative distorting the events of the Second World War. A recent European Parliament resolution stresses the fact that WWII was an immediate result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. It aims to promote historical remembrance of the Second World War and is supported by a broad consensus on the causes of its outbreak. The "Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact" was accompanied by a secret supplementary protocol on the delimitation of areas of mutual interest in Eastern Europe. In particular, Hitler and Stalin agreed to divide Poland. The agreement also indicated that the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, as well as Bessarabia and Finland, also belonged to the respective areas of interest of Germany and the USSR. Just a week after the signing of the Pact, the German attack on Poland started World War II. Two weeks later, Soviet troops entered Polish territory. Later in 1939, Soviet Russia attacked Finland. In 1944-1945, the USSR occupied Poland, establishing the undemocratic and repressive Communist Poland. Poland was kept under the Soviet sphere of influence until 1989. See similar cases about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact here, here, here, here and here. Read more about the Pact here.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 196
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07/05/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Arabic
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: USSR, UK, France, Poland, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine
  • Keywords: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, World War 2, Historical revisionism, USSR, WWII, Nazi/Fascist
see more

Disinfo: Ukraine is turned into an agrarian and raw materials appendix of Europe

The main problem of Ukraine is that it is being intensively turned into an agrarian and raw materials appendix of Europe. Therefore, there’s no reason to invest in the Ukrainian agricultural industry. It is uninteresting to invest in agricultural or raw materials production, there is no added value, there is no profit, there are no earnings.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying Ukraine as a failed state. Consistent with pro-Kremlin narratives alleging that Ukraine is a degrading state that has failed to become part of Europe. According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, top areas of economic activity in Ukraine for foreign investment are as follows: industry – 32.9%, wholesale and retail trade – 16.2%, financial and insurance activities – 12.9%, real estate transactions – 12.9%, professional, scientific, and technical activities – 6.5%. As the Financial Times writes about investing in Ukraine, "in spite of the conflict in the south-eastern Donbas region, economic growth is slowly picking up, and investment — though still below the level the country needs — is starting to flow." According to the US Department of State, "Ukraine has significant investment potential given its large consumer market, highly educated and cost-competitive workforce, and abundant natural resources. The Ukrainian government actively seeks foreign investment and established investment promotion agencies that have facilitated foreign investments. Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU gives Ukraine preferential market access and is accelerating Ukraine’s economic integration with the EU. Ukraine’s economy demonstrated a real GDP growth of 3.3% in 2018, and the IMF forecasts growth of 2.7% in 2019." For 2019, for the first time investments in Ukrainian startups and IT companies have reached half a billion dollars a year mark. The total volume of venture investments into Ukrainian IT companies has reached $510M, which is one and a half times more than the maximum of 2018.

Disinfo: Ukraine disrupts the peace talks between LDPR and Kyiv

It’s Ukraine which is not interested in conducting Trilateral contact group talks. The illegal regime of Kyiv, whose hands are already up to its elbows in blood, is trying to cheat, it doesn’t want to follow the Minsk agreements.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, casting Ukraine as the sole responsible party for the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Since 2014, negotiations with Russia to resolve the conflict in the Donbas have been held within the framework of the Normandy Format and the Minsk process. A special Trilateral contact group is working on a peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbas. Three parties are involved in this process: representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE. Unofficially, representatives of the "LDNR" factions are also present. At the end of April 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian side in the Trilateral Contact Group offered to hold negotiations in a video format so that negotiations could continue. “At the beginning of each week, we have a Minsk video-call. We want to move forward. Because it is the only thing that brings us closer to solving this issue globally," the Ukrainian President emphasised. At the end of January 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on the status of the monitoring procedure, where Russia was named as a “party to the Minsk agreements”. The PACE resolution noted that the Russian authorities should, among other things, “fully implement the Minsk agreements to which the Russian Federation is a party and to end its military intervention in, and support for, illegally armed formations in Eastern Ukraine." The second set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements was signed on 12 February 2015. The first paragraph of the document relates to an immediate ceasefire. Next, it is necessary to withdraw heavy weapons, ensure OSCE monitoring, release prisoners, grant Donbas special status and hold local elections, provide amnesty to the parties involved in the conflict and restore control over the Ukrainian-Russian border in the conflict zone. You can read other similar cases claiming that Ukraine does not fulfil key point of Minsk agreements on negotiation with the "LDNR" or that Ukraine broke the Minsk agreements by allowing the National Police on the contact line.

Disinfo: The EU would like to make money on "poor Ukraine"

The EU Council has approved the allocation of a loan of 1.2 billion euros for Ukraine. It means that the EU would like to make money on “poor Ukraine”. “Green power” [Zelensky’s team] will steal a billion euros, and force the Ukrainian people to return the money with interest.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative undermining the statehood of Ukraine and casting it as abandoned by its partners. The European Union allocates money to help Ukraine and other countries cope with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU is confident that “together with the support from the International Monetary Fund, the funds will help enhance macroeconomic stability and create space to allow resources to be allocated towards protecting citizens and to mitigating the negative socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.” According to the press-release by the European Council, financial assistance will be provided in the form of loans on highly favourable terms. Ukraine's government believes that money from the EU will help the country. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, this resource will provide economic stability in the state.