DISINFO: Ukrainian government lost its legitimacy after 2014 coup
SUMMARY
De jure, after the coup, the legitimacy of the constitutional system of Ukraine (its government) and the powers of the highest authorities, the domestic and international legal personality of the state, have been lost and have not yet been restored. At present, Ukraine is a completely dependent country, subjected to deindustrialisation and humiliation, which has lost its sovereignty, domestic and international legitimacy, as well as territorial integrity.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives aboutthe Euromaidan and statehood of Ukraine. Ukraine has not lost its sovereignty, legitimacy and territorial integrity. Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by most of the free world, confirmed by the resolutions of the United Nations, but violated by Russia. Ukraine is not under external control. It has its own government, parliament, president, local government, its own courts and a legal system. It is a member of numerous intergovernmental organisations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the World Trade Organisation, etc. The demonstrations which began in Kyiv in November 2013 – called "Maidan", or "Euromaidan" – were a result of the Ukrainian people's frustration with former President Yanukovych's last-minute U-turn when, after seven years of negotiation, he refused to sign the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement and halted progress towards Ukraine's closer relationship with the EU due to Russian pressure. The protesters' demands included constitutional reform, a stronger role for parliament, formation of a government of national unity, an end to corruption, early presidential elections and an end to violence.