DISINFO: The West and Russia are fighting over western Russian lands in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Vladimir Putin urged the West that if western countries allow Ukraine to use long-range western missiles to attack Russia’s territory, Moscow will consider western countries as parties to the war. This development can help remove any ambiguity surrounding Ukraine’s agency. The war will eventually be transformed from a semi-civil war to one between the West and Russia, albeit the West wages a war against Russia with the hands of part of the Russian people. Regardless, the war in Ukraine is already a conflict between Russia and the West over western Russian lands.
RESPONSE
This is a combination of recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives denying Ukraine’s statehood and Ukrainian national identity, claiming that western countries are fighting a proxy-war against Russia in Ukraine, and portraying Ukraine as a pawn in this war.
Western countries are not waging war against Russia. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. In response to Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine which was launched on 24 February 2022, a broad coalition of more than 50 nations are providing Ukraine with military and technical assistance with the aim of repelling Russia's aggression. Kyiv is acting in self-defence, in accordance with UN Charter article 51. Our analysis of the recent communication strategy of pro-Kremlin outlets explains how they attempt to portray Russia as a victim and to deceive audiences into believing that Russia is fighting Western powers.
Read earlier disinformation claims alleging that Ukraine today is an artificial state, a satellite of the US, that the US, NATO involved in Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, and that Ukraine is a convenient geopolitical tool for the US.