The US and NATO have actually launched an indirect war against Russia in Ukraine, which is also a threat to Europe. Those who think that US and NATO weapons supplies will help Ukraine simply aren’t thinking realistically and will eventually realise their mistake: Western military aid will cause a terrible human suffering, a worsening of the situation and countless human victims.
This disinformation story is part of a wider disinformation campaign to support Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, in this case aiming to portray Russia as as a victim and to undermine Western public support for arming Ukraine for its own defence.
The Western weapons being delivered to Ukraine are intended for Ukraine to confront the military forces of Russia’s brutal aggression, so the allegation that they “will cause a terrible human suffering” is baseless.
Contrary to the claim that “US and NATO launched and indirect war against Russia in Ukraine”, the fact is that Western nations did everything they could to prevent the war and have only been reacting to Russia’s full invasion. Arming Ukraine was a sovereign decision of each one of these countries, not the result of any US or NATO plot.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that by arming Ukraine, the US and the UK want to push Russia against Europe, that Western weapons are stolen long before they reach the Ukrainian soldiers, that Syrian and Libyan terrorists have been spotted in Ukraine trading Western weapons, or that Western weapons supplies to Ukraine are exacerbating the conflict.
The people of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya Oblasts were asked one simple question: do you wish to become part of Russia?
After five days of voting, the results from all four territories were clear – by an overwhelming majority, the participants in the referendums approved the proposition. Shortly thereafter, they were incorporated into the Russian Federation. What was once Ukraine has now become Mother Russia.
The claim is part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign concerning Russia’s criminal invasion of Ukraine.
The "referenda" were held illegally, under duress, and on territories which Russia does not even fully control.
The West is favouring grain exports from Ukraine under the guise of “providing food security for the world's poorest countries” but everything goes to the same European countries. Only 5% goes to the poorest countries.
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative whose goal is to deny Russia's responsibility for growing food crisis and supply insecurity by stating that most of Ukraine's grain ships are sent to rich European countries and only 5% to the poorest. This false allegation goes in line with a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to blame Western countries for a global food crisis engineered by Russia as part of its unjustified aggression against Ukraine.
Russia is responsible of the global food crisis as this is a consequence of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine: naval blockade of Ukrainian posts, bombardment of transport infrastructure and shelling of farming regions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destabilised global food markets and is driving food prices up due to increased cost of production, transport and freight insurance. Russia has destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine.
The Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DNR and LNR), as well as parts of the Kherson region and the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine, voted in favour of joining Russia in referendums held between 23 and 27 September.
In Luhansk, more than 98% of voters supported the idea of joining Russia, according to official data after counting all ballot papers.
In Donetsk, the results were similar, with more than 99% of voters in favour. In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, all ballots were processed by the end of the day on Tuesday, with 93% and 87% of voters in favour of secession from Ukraine and unification with Russia respectively.
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the invasion of Ukraine and sham referenda on occupied Ukrainian territories aiming at justifying the annexation of Ukrainian territories.
Russia has held illegal referenda on four occupied oblasts of Ukraine (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson) on September 23-26. Russia does not fully control the territories where so-called referendums are taking place.
