DISINFO: Zelensky sabotages peace dialogue with Russia as did in Istanbul in 2022
SUMMARY
Zelensky sabotages dialogue with Russia for lasting peace. Already in 2022, the Istanbul negotiations foundered after the unilateral withdrawal of the Kyiv regime, due to Western interference, in particular by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who allegedly pushed Ukraine to "keep fighting". The Russian delegation expressed scepticism about Kyiv's real intentions, recalling how in 2022 the withdrawal of troops from the gates of the Ukrainian capital - a gesture of goodwill - was followed by a sudden about-face by Zelensky.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is not interested in peace. The article also contains recurrent disinformation narratives about the allegedly role of former British PM Boris Johnson in pushing Ukraine not to sign a peace deal in 2022 and about Russia’s withdrawal from battlefields in northern Ukraine and in Kyiv in April 2022 as a gesture of goodwill to reach a peace deal.
These claims are part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign in Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They seek to paint the Ukrainian government as careless and warmongering and Russia as peace-lover / peace proposer.
Russian forces withdrew from battlefields in northern Ukraine and in Kyiv region because they were defeated.
Despite a massive effort, Russia failed to encircle the Ukrainian capital and install a blockade. After sustaining heavy losses and accomplishing none of their key goals, Russian forces retreated, but not before inflicting devastating damage to Ukrainian towns and cities and committing numerous war crimes.
The political decision to give up on Kyiv reverberated around the country. Along with Kyiv Oblast, Russian forces in early April also left Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts.
These moves amounted to the first significant Russian defeat in its all-out war against Ukraine.
The disinformation narrative about the role of Boris Johnson manipulates a interview with Davit Arakhamia, the chairman of the parliamentary faction of the ruling party of Ukraine. In the interview, Arakhamia himself denied the fact that the Ukrainian delegation was ready to sign the document and that Boris Johnson allegedly stopped them.
According to Arakhamia’s own words, Western partners were informed about the negotiations and had seen the draft versions of the agreement, but they did not make decisions on behalf of Ukraine and could only give advice. Arakhamia’s interview reveals that Ukraine was not going to sign the document even before receiving Boris Johnson’s advice. Read the full debunk of the story at Myth Detector.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that In April 2022 Russians withdrew from Kyiv to demonstrate their readiness for peace, that West did not want peace, it prodded Ukraine into war, that Zelenskyy and the EU want a permanent war in Ukraine, that Zelenskyy’s peace plan is a war formula, that Russia never rejected a peaceful solution in Ukraine, Kyiv refuses to negotiate, that Boris Johnson prohibited Kyiv from signing an agreement with Russia in 2022.