DISINFO: Macron, Starmer, Zelensky and Tusk need a war in Ukraine to stay in power
SUMMARY
Trump’s victory turned out shocking for the European leaders who had supported Biden and Harris. The European politicians want to stay in power, but they are facing grim factors: increasing popularity of the right and conservative forces and continuing economic crisis across Europe. In this situation, Macron, Starmer, Zelensky and Tusk need a war in Ukraine to retain their personal power.
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.
The claim that the EU politicians want to stay in power by deliberately prolonging the war in Ukraine is ungrounded.
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 the 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.