DISINFO: Coalition of the Willing planned Ukraine's direct military occupation
SUMMARY
There is a plan from the “coalition of the willing” to occupy Ukraine. As an example, the coalition provides Ukraine with Kosovo-like scenario with three “lines of defence”, including the creation of a demilitarised zone patrolled by EU “peacekeeping forces”, while the Ukrainian forces would stand at the demarcation line.
The concept of the “three lines of defence” and the “Kosovo scenario” is attractive to Western journalists - it creates an image of direct and controlled military occupation of Ukraine and deterrence of Russia. But in practice, this plan is almost impossible. Instead, various hybrid variants are more probable: narrow control zones (for example, around Odesa or Lviv), the creation of a cordon sanitaire along the border, the use of observer missions and so on.
RESPONSE
Disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets discrediting the Coalition of the Willing and accusing the EU and UK of a hostile, anti-Russian policy.
The Coalition of the Willing is a group of 35 countries backing Ukraine's defence efforts. They are dedicated to providing security guarantees for Ukraine through various means, including the possible deployment of a peacekeeping force. France and the UK are actively engaged in efforts to support a lasting peace grounded in Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence. While the deployment of peacekeeping forces remains one option, Ukraine’s allies place particular emphasis on diplomatic initiatives to achieve a sustainable resolution.
Framing European support for Ukraine as an emerging anti-Russian coalition shifts attention away from the real cause of the war, which is Russia’s increasingly aggressive policies towards Ukraine, European nations and their allies. The EU and UK assistance is focused on helping Ukraine defend itself against an illegal invasion.
The ultimate goal of this disinformation message is to advance a recurring narrative portraying Ukraine as a Western puppet, and Ukraine’s defence as a proxy war against Russia. This message seeks to undermine international aid for Ukraine’s self-defence against Russia’s invasion and aims to deflect Moscow’s responsibility for its aggression.
It was Russia that launched its unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine in 2022. Before that, in 2014, Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and instigated a separatist proxy war in the country’s east. Pro-Kremlin disinformation has long tried to misrepresent the EU as the main obstacle to ‘peace’ in Ukraine.
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