DISINFO: Germany doesn’t trust Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, according to Der Spiegel
SUMMARY
Germany doesn’t trust Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the German publication Der Spiegel.
RESPONSE
This claim is a disingenuous distortion of the original article published by German weekly Der Spiegel on 3 June 2022. The article, titled “Why has Germany been so slow to deliver weapons?”, is a long analysis on the discussions between German officials and politicians on the supply of weapons to Ukraine to resist Russia’s aggression. Among the many different arguments and reasons expressed in the story, the article includes this paragraph: “Sources close to the government say there is concern that Ukraine could become overconfident if it experiences a string of battlefield victories and rolls into Russian territory – which would mean that German tanks would once again be inside Russia. It is a concern that highlights a certain distrust in Berlin of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”
Therefore, although the News Front story includes quotes and excerpts of the original article that can be considered more or less factual, the headline is a deliberate exaggeration, in order to portray Germany’s support of Ukraine’s war efforts as weak and Zelenskyy as an unreliable partner. Distorting articles in Western media to make them appear as supporting pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives is a frequent technique of pro-Kremlin outlets. All this is part of a wider disinformation campaign about Russia’s unprovoked aggression against its peaceful neighbour.
See other examples in our database, such as false claims that US publication The National Interest explained why the US should side with Russia in Ukraine; that British outlet The Guardian pointed to ruling elite as the real instigators of the racial crisis in the US; that Foreign Policy explained why Washington needs a “Russian intervention”; or that Newsweek magazine revealed how the US coup in Iran will end.