DISINFO: Victoria Nuland is the long-standing chief architect of the war in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Victoria Nuland – Deputy US Secretary of State and long-standing chief architect of the war in Ukraine, from the Orange Revolution to the violent Maidan coup against the democratically elected government in Kyiv, to Kyiv's policy of oppression against the Russian-speaking Donbas and the war against Russia.
RESPONSE
Baseless recurring disinformation claim about Victoria Nuland. The claim that a US diplomat should be 'the chief architect' is misleading and lacks substantial evidence. Besides, it seeks to remove political identity and determination from the Ukrainian people. The claim plays on the classic Kremlin trope of "lost sovereignty".
The Euromaidan Protests and U.S. Involvement: The Euromaidan movement (2013-2014) was a popular uprising sparked by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's sudden rejection of an EU trade agreement in favour of closer ties with Russia. These protests reflected widespread discontent in the Ukrainian society with corruption and authoritarianism under Yanukovych, culminating in broad-based demonstrations and him fleeing from Ukraine. Claims that the U.S., through Nuland, orchestrated the events seeks to neglect is an oversimplification. While she supported the protests and was involved in U.S. aid initiatives, there is no evidence of a U.S. backed coup.
Donbas Conflict and Russian Aggression: The narrative of "Kyiv's oppression" of Russian speakers in Donbas is contradicted by the evidence of Russia's role in fomenting and militarising separatist movements. After Yanukovych’s removal, Russia annexed Crimea and supported separatists in Donbas, exacerbating the conflict. The war resulted from these actions, not Nuland’s diplomacy.
Broader Context: Russian propaganda often frames U.S. support for Ukraine as a direct threat, aligning with claims of Western interference in its sphere of influence. This narrative aims to delegitimise Ukraine's sovereignty and its people's aspirations for closer ties with Europe.
While Nuland played a significant role in U.S. policy during the Ukraine crisis, portraying her as the "chief architect" of the war ignores the agency of Ukrainian protesters and the role of Russian aggression in escalating the war against Ukraine.
Further claims related to Nuland can be seen at the following links: Nuland was behind the 2014 coup in Ukraine and the spilling of Slavic blood; Nuland and Zaluzhnyi are preparing a coup d'etat in Ukraine.