DISINFO: NATO supports Ukraine because of its titanium reserves, according to Newsweek magazine
SUMMARY
The US and its NATO partners give assistance to Ukraine due to its huge titanium reserves, which is crucial for the development of its military technologies, Newsweek report quoting several sources.
RESPONSE
This disinformation story is a deliberate distortion of the original article in Newsweek. Although the article reports on the wide titanium reserves of Ukraine as attractive for Western countries who had previously been highly dependent on Russian deposits, and on efforts to “identify, develop and utilize Ukraine’s vast resources of [this] key metal”, it never states that this is the reason of Western support for this country.
By attributing spurious reasons to the Western governments backing Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, this disinformation story aims to undermine popular support for this aid. In reality, the US and the West support Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, to stop Russia’s unjustified invasion.
Distorting articles in Western media to make them appear as supporting pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives is a frequent technique of pro-Kremlin outlets.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the US is prolonging war in Ukraine to benefit from weapons sales, that Western military aid to Ukraine only will cause more suffering, or that international support for Ukraine starts to decrease due to corruption.