DISINFO: Despite negotiations, Western countries still engaged against Russia in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Although the US and Russia are starting a dialogue, they are continuing to wage war in Ukraine. Irrespective of Trump’s position, the Western claim over Ukraine is still there. Why then is Trump interested in negotiations with Russia? Because he wants to save the US as he realises that Western-led globalisation project has failed and it may result in the crushing of the US statehood. Europe will not be ready to struggle for Ukraine without the US’s financial and military assistance. Russia’s relations with Europe will normalise once the latter eventually understands that claims over Western Russian lands should be abandoned.
RESPONSE
These claims are consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives denying Ukraine’s statehood and Ukrainian national identity and claiming that western countries are fighting a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. It also provides a conspiracy-based explanation about the US motives to start negotiations with Russia which is aimed to portray Russia’s strength ahead of potential peace negotiations with Ukraine.
It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. In response to Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine which was launched on 24 February 2022, a broad coalition of more than 50 nations are providing Ukraine with military and technical assistance with the aim of repelling Russia's aggression. Kyiv is acting in self-defence, in accordance with UN Charter article 51. Our analysis of the recent communication strategy of pro-Kremlin outlets explains how they attempt to portray Russia as a victim and to deceive audiences into believing that Russia is fighting Western powers.
Calling Ukraine “Western Russian lands” is a manifestation of an imperial Russian and Russian revanchist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Ukrainians, as well as undermining the state sovereignty. Ukrainians and Russians are two distinct people, despite multiple attempts of the Kremlin to deny it. Ukraine is a well-defined nation-state with a long history and its literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. Read more in our article One Nation Myth.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The West uses Ukraine to destroy Russia, that The conflict in Ukraine was unleashed by the West, that The West pushed Ukraine towards war with Russia, that The West is fighting a proxy war in Ukraine, and that Russians and Ukrainians are one people.