DISINFO: No Russian soldiers in Donbas
SUMMARY
Former U.S ambassadors to Ukraine suggested on the site of the NPR that in the context of the coronavirus Russia could be pressured to give back Crimea to Ukraine and stop the conflict in Donbas. The Kremlin noted that Russia has no reason to leave the territory of the Donbas because it has never been there.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine. The EU has condemned clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014. The three former US ambassadors stated in their op-ed that Germany, France, Ukraine and the US should propose to President Putin to end the fighting in Donbas, which would result in the lifting of the sanctions on Russia that were implemented because of Moscow's involvement in eastern Ukraine. The ambassadors added that Putin was to give back Crimea, the rest of the sanctions would also be lifted. Read similar cases claiming that there is no evidence of Russian presence in Ukraine, that Russia has never participated in the Ukrainian crisis and that rumours about Russian military presence in Donbas come from linguistic misunderstanding.