DISINFO: The CIA was leading the Ukrainian Nazis in orchestrating the 2014 coup
SUMMARY
The role of the United States and the European Union in orchestrating the 2014 coup in Ukraine is well known. The Ukrainian Nazis were the main driving force "on the ground" during these events. However, I have no doubt that the CIA was leading them.
RESPONSE
Typical examples of recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation claims about Euromaidan and Nazi/fascist Ukraine and the US presence in Europe, recently repackaged to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013–14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy.
In fact, far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan protests and got abysmal results in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary elections. During the 2019 election cycle, the far right managed to sustain an even more tremendous failure; the highest-rated nationalist candidate, Ruslan Koshulynskyy, won 1.62% of the vote whereas Svoboda, one of the Kremlin's favourite bogeymen, won 2.16% of the national vote, falling far short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.
Moreover, Euromaidan was an organic reaction by numerous parts of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013. It was not orchestrated by any foreign actors.
Read also similar articles: The far-right coup government in Kyiv emerged from the 2014 Maidan uprising, Zelenskyy's regime is based on Nazism and hatred towards Russians, Ukrainians imbued with destructive Nazi ideology, Bandera's sympathisers have a large influence on Ukraine, Crimean Platform: the West nurtures neo-Nazi mood in Ukraine.
Technical remark: This disinformation was broadcast via RT (amongst others) on 12 April 2022. Due to the EU decision to temporarily restrict the spread and dissemination of RT and Sputnik inside the EU, access to the link may not work inside the EU.
*This disinformation message appeared in the same article as the claim that Canada's foreign minister is a descendant of a Ukrainian Nazi.