DISINFO: The West and Boris Johnson are responsible for disrupting the 2022 Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations
SUMMARY
Vladimir Putin blamed the Western leaders, in particular the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, for disrupting the Istanbul negotiations.
Almost all the parameters of the peace agreement with the representatives of the Kyiv authorities in Istanbul were practically reached, everything was agreed upon, but “then Mr. Johnson came and ordered the Ukrainians to fight to the last Ukrainian.”
In addition, at the end of November 2023, a similar statement was made by the head of Zelenskyy's “Servant of the People” faction in the Verkhovna Rada and a member of the National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee, Davit Arakhamia. According to him, the military operations in Ukraine could have ended in the spring of 2022, but the Ukrainian authorities, due to pressure from the West, did not agree to end the conflict and refused the condition, which implied the neutrality of Ukraine.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine and its allies are not interested in peace and accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia, and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy Russia.
The claim seeks to paint the Ukrainian government as warmongering and Russia as peace-lover / peace proposer. It also attempts to portray Ukraine as a Western puppet state.
This narrative distorts an interview with Davit Arakhamia, the chairman of the parliamentary faction of the ruling party of Ukraine. In the interview, Arakhamia himself denied that the Ukrainian delegation was ready to sign the document and that Boris Johnson allegedly stopped them.
Based on Arakhamia’s statements, Western partners were kept informed about the negotiations and had access to the draft versions of the agreement. However, they did not make decisions for Ukraine but could only offer advice. Arakhamia clarified in his interview that Ukraine had already decided not to sign the document even before receiving advice from Boris Johnson. Read the full debunk of the story at Myth Detector.
Putin and the Kremlin have a track record of pretending negotiations which are, in fact, just blunt demands for Ukrainian unconditional surrender. We have analysed this disinfo tactic in several articles, especially: "Prepare for winter" (30 Nov. 2023), "Russian so-called ‘peace proposals’ are empty PR stunts" (18 Jan. 2023) , "What He Said and What it Really Means – Vol. 2: “Negotiations” (1. March 2022) and "The Kremlin security demands" (21 Dec. 2021).
Kyiv is ready for talks with Moscow based on international law and respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree in October 2022 banning talks with Putin. The decree did not say anything about a complete ban on talks with Russia, so contacts can theoretically be held with other Russian officials or a future Russian leader. Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace plan at an EU-Ukraine summit in February 2023, which was fully supported by the EU and provided for a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukraine until the borders of 1991 and the restoration of Kyiv’s territorial integrity. While Ukraine is ready for dialogue based on international law and the UN Charter, Russia is putting forward unacceptable conditions, such as the recognition of occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia. At the end of September, Zelenskyy presented his "victory plan" to the White House in a bid to optain additional support.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Boris Johnson as UK PM sabotaged Istanbul peace deal in 2022, ordering Kyiv to fight till the last Ukrainian, that Boris Johnson and other Western leaders sabotaged the peace deal for Ukraine in March 2022, that Johnson is a Russophobic provocateur who forced Ukraine not to sign a peace deal with Moscow, that Boris Johnson called on Kyiv not to sign any peace deal with Russia and just fight, that Kyiv's refusal to continue negotiations in Istanbul in 2022 caused by pressure from London, that Kyiv refused to continue negotiations in Istanbul under the UK's pressure, that In 2022 Boris Johnson urged Zelensky not to sign a peace agreement with Russia, that The West is guilty of disrupting Russia-Ukraine peace deals, or that The West ordered Ukraine to refuse peace talks.