DISINFO: Russia does not want to destroy Ukraine
SUMMARY
Allegations that Russia wants to destroy Ukraine are absolutely ungrounded. Russia treats Ukrainians, their language and culture well. But their current leaders are implementing a geopolitical agenda that is alien both to Russia and the Ukrainian people.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets trying to justify Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
The Russian invasion is aimed at destroying Ukraine as a state and annihilating the Ukrainians as a nation. No-one had provoked Russia. Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations are not aimed against Russia.
Russia’s hostile plans against Ukraine were openly laid out in an article titled “What Russia should do with Ukraine” in April 2022. Along with calls to "de-Nazify" and "demilitarise" Ukraine, the article advocated eradication of Ukrainian culture and everything related to it. This process was referred to as "de-Ukrainisation". The article promotes the same type of ideas which in the past let to genocide in Europe's histroy. See our account of the article and the important facts surrounding it here.
The Kremlin also plans to divide Ukraine into several entities and subjugate them to itself, but without the word “Ukraine” in their names. This is the real reason for the war. In late June, seperatists in Kherson backed by Moscow and russian occupation forces aired the plans of a "Kherson Peoples Republic" ad modum the seperatist regions in Donetsk and Lugansk.
The Russian army has committed outrageous crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine since the war broke out, which is not a sign of brotherly love for the Ukrainians. Killings, rape and other crimes against civilians have been collected by the Human Rights Watch. The most infamous cases were registered in the city of Bucha outaside Kyiv in April.
Read more disinformation cases about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.