DISINFO: Russia wants to end war that West unleashed in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Russia's special military operation pursues the goal of ending the war in Ukraine unleashed by several Western countries and their satellites.
Russia has decided to support the people who are fighting for their culture, for their traditions, for their language and for their future. Our actions in Ukraine have only one reason - to put an end to the war that was unleashed by the West and their satellites in Ukraine against the people living in Donbas.
The special military operation was not the beginning of the war, but an attempt to end it.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the West of fighting a proxy war in Ukraine, deflecting responsibility for the aggressive war waged by Russia. It aims to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.
Russia's aggression against Ukraine was unprovoked and unjustified. It is President Putin who are clearly responsible for the war in Ukraine. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII.
See our 5-volume series of debunks of Putin's 'What he said. What it really means.
Neither the European Union nor Western countries have started a war with Russia. On the contrary, it is Russia that refused the diplomatic process and started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and creating a danger to European security.
The war began in 2014 with the Russian illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's military involvement and support of separatists in Donbas. The war in Ukraine is a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014. The European Union stated in July 2014 that "arms and fighters continue flowing into Ukraine from the Russian Federation".
The Russian invasion is aimed at destroying Ukraine as a state and annihilating the Ukrainians as a nation. These plans were openly laid out in an article titled “What Russia should do with Ukraine” in April 2022. Along with calls to denazify and demilitarise Ukraine, the article advocates its de-Ukrainisation, meaning the eradication of Ukrainian culture and everything related to it, plans to divide Ukraine into several entities subordinate to Russia, but without the word “Ukraine” in their names. Thus, Russia is not protecting itself or anyone else in its war. Instead, Russian politicians are threatening to attack Western nations after Ukraine.
Read similar cases claiming that Russia only wants to end the war started by Ukraine in 2014, that The West declared total war against Russia, that Russia’s special operation prevented Ukraine’s attack, that Russia’s special operation in Ukraine is due to NATO’s persistent expansion, that The conflict in Ukraine was unleashed by the West, that Russia does everything to stop the Ukrainian war unleashed by the West.
Read more disinformation narratives about Ukraine allegedly perpetrating genocide against Russians.