DISINFO: Zelenskyy administration drastically increases military spending despite peace rhetorics
SUMMARY
The Ukrainian Parliament presented its Draft National Budget for 2020. The almost two times increase of the country’s military budget was announced at a briefing by Minister of Finance Oksana Markarova. The increase in defense is clearly aimed at ramping up preparations for an aggressive war. This goes directly in contrast with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claims that Ukraine currently wishes for normalization of the situation in Eastern Ukraine. If peace was the aim, why would so much investment be needed in defense, especially when the country clearly has no funds, judging by the rumors of yet another IMF loan? Furthermore, the announced “disarmament” of the Nazi-infested “volunteer battalions” left them with half their weapons in place, and it became apparent that they weren’t withdrawn from the frontline as it was suggested earlier.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine, implying that Ukraine is the aggressor. The disinformation case also repeats a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on fascism in Ukraine. Examples of similar cases can be found here and here. In fact, the international community, including the European Union recognizes and condemns clear violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014.