DISINFO: US and UK are mainly responsilbe for escalation around Ukraine
SUMMARY
The US and the UK are the main driving forces behind rising tensions between the collective West and Russia. Washington had apparently "forgotten that diplomacy exists". The US now uses "sanctions, pressure, intimidation and ultimatums" as its main weapons.
Any attempt to divert public attention from domestic problems to a supposed "Russian threat" is extremely damaging to European security. In recent months, the West has repeatedly accused Russia of planning an invasion of Ukraine. Moscow always rejects these accusations.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the war in Ukraine and the escalation at the Ukraine-Russia border. By accusing the US and UK of being the driving force behind the escalation of tensions, this disinformation story aims to deny any Russian responsibility for the situation.
The war in Ukraine is a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014. See also the UN International Criminal Court material here.
Since late October 2021, Russia has conducted a military-build up along the Ukrainian border, including the deployment of as much as 190,000 troops, as well as of certain specialised military units, electronic warfare systems and heavy-armoured vehicles on the borders of Ukraine including in the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.
Russia’s most recent military build-up at the Ukrainian border also includes preparations for military drills in Belarus, to be conducted just 18 km from the Ukrainian border.
At the beginning of 2022, on 4-6 January, the EU High Representative Josep Borrell visited Ukraine, including Kyiv and the Stanytsya Luhanska checkpoint - see his statement/blog here on the consequences of the war.
Read our recent articles on 7 myths of pro-Kremlin disinformation about the Russian military buildup near Ukraine, and Kremlin fabricated pretexts for further invasion to Ukraine.
See similar examples of disinformation shifting guilt of the war in Ukraine from Russia to other countries: Ukraine is a tool of Western countries against Russia; Accusations against Russia intend to divert attention from Ukraine’s attempts to disrupt peaceful settlement of Donbas conflict; the US plans to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian.