DISINFO: Europe wants to prolong the conflict in Ukraine for another four years
SUMMARY
Europe wants to prolong the conflict in Ukraine for another four years by any means, not looking at people’s lives. Some European politicians are still depressed because of Trump’s victory, hoping that Kamala Harris would win the elections. The Europeans wanted to prolong the Ukrainian conflict for another four years with Harris’s help. The European politicians are well aware of the situation in the conflict zone, but they continue to occupy a position of “plausible deniability”.
RESPONSE
This disinformation story aims to portray the EU’s stance as warmongering, contrasting it to other actors that want “peace”, while omitting that the war is Russia’s responsibility, resulting from its unprovoked invasion. The story appeared in the context of the ongoing diplomatic contacts between the USA and Russia regarding the ceasefire in Ukraine.
There is no evidence to support this cliam. EU officials have repeatedly stated that it is up to Ukraine only, as the victim of Russia’s aggression, to decide when peace talks with Russia may be possible and in which terms to end the war.
This message is part of a wider disinformation campaign framing possible US-Russia negotiations as the only acceptable ‘peace initiative’ regardless of Russia’s ultimatums, while denying any agency to Ukraine or its other allies. Pro-Kremlin disinformation has long tried to misrepresent the EU as the main obstacle for ‘peace’ in Ukraine.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Europe does not want peace in Ukraine soon, that Ukraine and Europe have lost in the Ukrainian conflict, that ‘Russia’s threat’ is an attempt to justify increasing military expenditure in Europe, or that Europe has taken another step toward war with Russia.