DISINFO: The coup in Ukraine resulted in destroyed economy
SUMMARY
During the last six years, Ukraine has not only rolled back economically, the country managed to lose competence in a number of industries, lost millions of workers, accumulated debts and perhaps even passed the point of no return in the economic sense. Economic catastrophe as a result of a coup and reorientation of the economy to the West is fully confirmed by the whole set of economic indicators.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative to undermine Ukraine's economy. Also consistent with the narrative depicting the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv as a coup d’état orchestrated by the West. There was no coup d’état in Ukraine. The onset of the Euromaidan protests was a spontaneous and endogenous reaction by numerous segments of the Ukrainian population to former President Yanukovych’s sudden withdrawal from the promised Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013. The protesters’ demands included constitutional reform, a stronger role for parliament, the formation of a government of national unity, an end to corruption, early presidential elections and an end to violence. See the full debunk of this disinformation claim here. Regarding the claim about Ukraine's economy being disastrous, according to the World Bank, the GDP of Ukraine grew by 3.5% in the first half of 2019, compared to 3.3% in 2018. The solid growth was driven by a strong agricultural harvest, as well as sectors dependent on domestic demand, including services (domestic trade, transport, and the financial sector) and construction. In 2019, the GDP of Ukraine was US$130.832 billion. Thirty years ago it was $82.709 billion, an increase of over 50 percent. You can find similar cases of the Kremlin trying to undermine Ukraine's economy here.