DISINFO: Russia has legal grounds to cancel Ukraine’s independence in court
SUMMARY
For Russia to win in the special military operation in Ukraine, a few goals should be reached. One is nuclear intimidation of the US which has been achieved. The US has stepped aside from the conflict in Ukraine and distanced from Europe. However, legal revocation of Ukraine’s independence has not been achieved yet. Russia has legal grounds for it. Russia and the US should agree on returning to the bipolar international security format which existed in the past between the USSR and the US.
RESPONSE
This disinformation message promotes recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine’s statehood and Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the US/West proxy conflict against Russia. The disposition to negotiate with the US is a long-term pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denying Ukraine’s sovereignty. At the Special European Council of 6 March 2025 EU leaders highlighted that for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine the following principles should be respected:
-there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine
-there can be no negotiations that affect European security without Europe’s involvement
-any truce or ceasefire can only take place as part of a process leading to a comprehensive peace agreement
-any peace agreement needs to be accompanied by robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine that contribute to deterring future Russian aggression
-peace must respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The claim that Ukraine's independence can be revoked in court is absurd. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically elected president and parliament. It has established diplomatic relations with over 180 United Nations member countries. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2014 with the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas, violates international law. On 2 March, 2022, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding that Russia immediately end its military operations in Ukraine. On 12 October, 2022, with 143 votes in favour, 5 against, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the Russian Federation’s annexation of four eastern Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.
A broad coalition of more than 50 nations, including Western countries, are providing Ukraine with military and technical assistance with the aim of repelling Russia's aggression, but they are not involved in direct fighting. Ukraine receives weapons with the sole aim of restoring its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Kyiv is acting in self-defence, under UN Charter article 51.
Read our past analysis about Russia’s use of nuclear sabre-rattling to dissuade the world from supporting Ukraine.
See earlier disinformation narratives claiming that Ukrainian statehood is illegal and should be cancelled in line with international law, that Russia could negotiate a peace that considers the will of former Ukrainian territories, that Putin welcomes Ukraine talks while Zelenskyy rejects them, that Russia is open to a sincere dialogue with the US, while the EU wants more war, and that Moscow is liberating the regions that voted to join Russia in September 2022.