Disinfo: Zelenskyy accuses the US of hostile action against Ukraine

Summary

Zelenskyy's press conference was unlike any other, during which he accused the United States of hostile acts against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy's hysteria is completely understandable. The “Putin is about to attack Ukraine” charade run by the Biden administration cost Ukraine $1.5 billion in less than a month (that is 5% of Ukraine’s reserves of gold and foreign exchange).

Foreign investors are getting rid of Ukrainian securities. Today's Ukrainian government currency bonds are trading at a discount of 20%. In the parlance of stockbrokers, this is a "default is almost inevitable" declaration.

Disproof

Manipulation to sow discord between Kyiv and Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not accuse the US of hostile action against Ukraine but had mainly drawn attention to the economic impact linked to the talks about the imminent war. Zelenskyy, however, did not deny the existence of a Russian military threat and told reporters that he's not ruling out that a "horrible war" could break out, but said that the escalation "has happened already" and that Ukraine has been under occupation for eight years.

Blaming the US, the UK and the West for Ukraine's economic difficulty aims to deflect Russia's responsibility for the situation in the region. The war in Ukraine is a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014. There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine, in the Donbas. Russia is supporting its proxies with weapons, its active-duty soldiers serve there and its top military commanders visit the war zone to coordinate joint efforts with the separatists.

On 21 February 2022, in violation of international law, President Putin recognised the independence of two breakaway regions of Ukraine and ordered Russian forces to perform so-called 'peacekeeping' functions.

While Ukraine is facing economic difficulties, as expected from a country under attack, foreign reserves have been at their highest levels in almost a decade in August 2021. What the article describes as the imminent collapse of the Ukrainian economy is a small dip from this August peak.

See similar stories that the US destroys the Ukrainian economy, that the US is responsible for Ukrainian tragedy, and that the Ukrainian economy will not survive without Russia.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 272
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 31/01/2022
  • Article language(s) Arabic
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, US
  • Keywords: Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Economic difficulties, economy
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Disinfo: Ukraine uses videos of gay couples to improve their fighting spirit

Videos circulating around show Ukraine wants to strengthen the fighting spirit using gay couples. It is surprising. If they [Ukraine] want to win the war with such videos, may God help them.

Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation about the war in Ukraine attempting to denigrate the Armed Forces of Ukraine but playing with a sensitive topic. The claim is part of an ongoing disinformation campaign about Russia’s military buildup on the border with Ukraine.

The claim is false. The anchor of the pro-Kremlin TV channel aired an altered video allegedly depicting a young Ukrainian gay soldier returning home and proposing to his boyfriend and commented that Ukraine wants to increase the fighting spirit using such videos.

Disinfo: Anglo-Saxons want to involve Ukraine in a war against Slavs

The Western countries want to involve Ukraine in a bloody war against Russia. Anglo-Saxons systemically set upon Slavs. The puppet government in Kyiv supports this plan.

Disproof

A recurring narrative about the Western powers pushing for war in Ukraine while presenting Kyiv as a puppet of Anglo-Saxons.

The West has no interest in the war between Ukraine and Russia. On the other hand, the war in Ukraine is an ongoing conflict. It is a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014. There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine, in the Donbas. Russia is supporting its proxies with weapons, its active-duty soldiers serve there and its top military commanders visit the war zone to coordinate joint efforts with the separatists. Despite all this Russia officially denies its military presence in Donbas.

Disinfo: NATO is not a defensive alliance

NATO lost its defensive character after the end of the Cold War. Moreover, NATO can hardly be called a defence alliance, given its operations in Yugoslavia, Libya, and Afghanistan.

Disproof

This is part of a recurring Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim that NATO is aggressive. Contrary to the claim, NATO is indeed a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect its member states. NATO's exercises and military deployments are not directed against Russia – or any other country.

The former Yugoslavia did not break up because of NATO. The Alliance did not use military force to change borders in the former Yugoslavia. From 1992 to 1995, NATO conducted several military operations in Bosnia, including enforcing a no-fly zone and providing air support for UN peacekeepers. These activities were mandated by the United Nations Security Council, of which Russia is a member too.