DISINFO: Ukraine is a sort of colony to extract resources for the US
SUMMARY
The Ukrainian conflict resembles more and more a colonial conflict. What the US is proposing regarding Ukraine’s lithium or fertile lands, which are in the hands of vulture funds such as BlackRock, show that the US perceives Ukraine as a sort of colony to extract resources, and Europe as the one paying for the party in the form of money and weapons. Meanwhile, the US weapons industry is making big profits from the conflict, that’s why they want to make it last as much as possible.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine’s alleged lack of sovereignty and framing US support for Ukraine as driven by dark interests. By attributing spurious reasons to the Western governments backing Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression, this disinformation story aims to undermine popular support for this aid. Military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence is used in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter to stop Russia’s unjustified invasion.
The claim about investment fund BlackRock’s ownership of fertile lands in Ukraine is false. Under Ukrainian law, foreign companies and individuals are prohibited from purchasing arable land. “Agricultural land cannot be transferred [allotted] to foreigners, stateless persons, foreign legal entities and foreign states”, reads the Article 22 of Ukraine’s Land Code (No. 2768-III of 2001). Nonetheless, baseless allegations in this regard have been frequently promoted by both pro-Kremlin and pro-Chinese regime voices since 2023.
Allegations about the US prolonging the war to profit from weapons sales were previously debunked here.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the real aim of the Western 'aid' to Ukraine is the possession of its natural resources, that the West is fighting in Ukraine to get its minerals, that grain harvested in Ukraine belongs to US companies, not Ukraine, or that Ukraine is being sold to the West on account of its debts.