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DISINFO: The coup led to the deterioration of Russian - Ukrainian relations

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

AI translations:

Tags:

War against Ukraine Ukrainian statehood Ukraine illegal annexation Coup Crimea Euromaidan Donbas DNR LPR

DISINFO: The coup led to the deterioration of Russian - Ukrainian relations

SUMMARY

Russian - Ukrainian relations deteriorated against the backdrop of the situation in Donbas, after the 2014 coup in Ukraine, which led Crimea to be under the sovereignty of Russia, as a result of a popular referendum where the citizens of Crimea voted to return to Russia. An armed conflict also broke out in the Donbass region in south-eastern Ukraine, between Kyiv on the one hand and the self-proclaimed People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk on the other.

RESPONSE

Recurring disinformation message about eastern Ukraine, claiming that the foundation of the DPR and LPR came as a response to the 2013-14 “Euromaidan” protests in Kyiv, often painted as a coup d'état and attempting to put responsibility for the deterioration in relations between Russia and Ukraine exclusively on the latter, ignoring the reasons behind it which is the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's destabilising actions in eastern Ukraine.

The war in eastern Ukraine was not caused by the Euromaidan. Protests in favour of the EU association and reforms were held in all major cities of Donbas. The war is not a civil conflict but a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014.

As for Crimea joining Russia, no international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea, and the same was echoed by the EU, as the referendum was conducted hastily and at gunpoint and impartial observers were barred from entering the peninsula.

In addition, the involvement of Russian personnel and equipment in the creation of the DPR and LPR has been well documented already for years. The destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea has been condemned by the Council of the European Union and led to restrictive measures since 2014.

The EU is among the strongest advocates of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Read similar cases in our database that claims that the Euromaidan coup led to civil war in Donbas; or that Ukraine is preparing a military escalation in Donbas; or that Russia has nothing to do with the conflict in eastern Ukraine; or that Crimea’s reunification with Russia was legal; or that 96% of Crimean people wanted to rejoin Russia.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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