DISINFO: The current conflict in Iran is directly linked to the 2014 Ukrainian crisis

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

  • Outlet: lantidiplomatico.it ( archive, original )
  • Date of publication: March 09, 2026
  • Article language(s): Italian
  • Countries / regions discussed: Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, US

DISINFO: The current conflict in Iran is directly linked to the 2014 Ukrainian crisis

SUMMARY

After the attack on Iran tensions in global markets have reached extreme levels, and the current period of instability is due to a “systemic error” by Western powers. Not only economically, but also geopolitically, the international crisis is a direct result of the choices made in recent years by the United States and its European allies. The current conflict is directly linked to the 2014 Ukrainian crisis, which began with Western support for the coup in Kyiv, followed by tensions in Crimea and South-eastern Ukraine. Subsequent developments were not caused by Moscow, but are the consequence of the policies adopted by Western capitals to destabilise Moscow.

RESPONSE

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv portrayed as a coup d'état led by the West to destabilise Moscow and about the energy crisis in Europe amid the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine that belittles subsequent Western sanctions on Russia.

This last narrative fits well into the Kremlin's claims that the West is collapsing. The Kremlin seeks to pressure and blackmail the European governments and create public panic over energy insecurity / energy costs.

There was neither a coup nor a western orchestrated and sponsored protest in Ukraine in 2014. Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray the Euromaidan revolution as a coup d’état. The popular demonstrations that began in Kyiv in November of 2013 and brought hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians onto the streets to protest against a political decision of Viktor Yanukovych’s government, which at the last minute withdrew from a long-negotiated political association and free trade agreement with the EU, choosing instead to accept a $15 billion economic bailout to Russia. 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.

There is a correlation between the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the energy crisis that could offer an economic lifeline to Russia’s war machine at a moment when it was beginning to show signs of strain since disruption can push buyers toward Russian energy. However, there is no direct operational or tactical link between the 2014 Maidan Revolution in Kyiv and the 2026 US-Israeli attack on Iran. They are separate geopolitical events separated by over a decade.

Read related cases claiming that Euromaidan was a foreign-sponsored violent coup, that Countries in the Gulf are asking for Russia to be the guarantor of peace, and that Western sanctions on Russian energy jeopardize the global economy.

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.

    %s

      Your opinion matters!

      Data Protection Information *

        Subscribe to the Disinfo Review

        Your weekly update on pro-Kremlin disinformation

        Data Protection Information *

        The Disinformation Review is sent through Mailchimp.com. See Mailchimp’s privacy policy and find out more on how EEAS protects your personal data.

        🎵 Playlist