DISINFO: The conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 with a coup and a military crackdown on the Russian-speaking population
SUMMARY
Italy and the West are promising “eternal” financial support to the Kyiv regime through billions in arms supplies, rather than guiding the regime toward a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. The conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 with the coup d'état and military crackdown on the Russian-speaking civilian population of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions by the nationalists who came to power.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv falsely portrayed as a coup d'état and about persecution of Russian speakers in Donbas. Also recurring disinformation narrative accusing Italy and the West of warmongering and claiming that their support for Ukraine is an act of aggression rather than a response to Russia’s large-scale invasion.
These claims were made in the context of the URC2025 which took place in Rome on 10 and 11 July 2025. This was the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference, continuing the annual series of high-level political events dedicated to the swift recovery and long-term reconstruction of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.
The 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome has provided a clear demonstration of continued European commitment to Ukraine. In opening remarks, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set the stage by declaring that Europe was at Ukraine’s side “militarily, financially, and politically,” and would be there “for as long as it takes.” She noted that Europe had already provided €165 billion in financial assistance, with more to come as further military aid is allocated to Ukraine under Europe’s newly-launched €800 billion Defense Readiness Plan.
The European Union is committed to achieving a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine on Ukraine’s terms. The EU's actions are based on a strong stance that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiables.
The claim about the "coup d'état" in Ukraine is one of the most common pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine trying to undermine the legitimacy of Ukrainian authorities.
There was no coup in Ukraine in 2014. Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray the Euromaidan revolution as a coup d’état. The popular demonstrations began in Kyiv in November 2013, bringing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians onto the streets to protest against a political decision of Viktor Yanukovych’s government. Read more on the topic here.
There is also no evidence that either ethnic Russians or Russian speakers are facing persecution at the hands of the Ukrainian authorities, much less the danger of annihilation on grounds of nationality, ethnicity, or cultural belonging. This has been confirmed by reports issued by the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the OSCE.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that EU sabotages peace process in Ukraine, that the US organised a coup d’état in Ukraine in 2014 to install a neo-Nazi regime hostile to Russia; that the Revolution of Dignity 2014 in Ukraine was a pogrom conducted by NATO-backed Nazis; that Russia fights against Ukrainian neo-Nazis guilty of ethnic cleansing.