DISINFO: Euromaidan was an armed coup that resulted in an illegitimate transit of power
SUMMARY
There was an armed seizure of state power. People, who would never have received this power honestly and in elections, made a lot of laws for themselves that justified their power and began to plunder. Ukraine was left without a future.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Euromaidan depicting the 2013-14 protests in Kyiv as a coup.
There was no armed coup in Ukraine seven years ago. 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 as a result of 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.
After the Euromaidan, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called presidential elections, since the then President of Ukraine escaped from the country. The elections were held on 25 May. Their results were recognised by international organisations, such as OSCE, and foreign governments.
See similar disinformation cases alleging that the US financed the 2013-14 "colour revolution" and ouster of former Ukrainian president Yanukovych, that in February 2014 a violent coup took place in Kyiv, that deep state with Victoria Nuland was the driving force behind regime overthrow in Ukraine, or that there was a coup d'etat in Ukraine in 2014.