DISINFO: Euromaidan was initiated to lower Ukraine's living standards
SUMMARY
Now everyone understands why the Maidan was needed. It was necessary to lower the standard of living of Ukrainians. It has to be so low that they [Ukrainians] must be very happy to go to Europe [and earn money there]: to plow the land for 16 hours a day and to be bent over in the fields under the sun.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy theory. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the 2013-14 Ukrainian revolution. 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. Regarding the claim about Ukraine's economy being disastrous: according to the World Bank, the GDP of Ukraine grew by 3.5% in the first half of 2019, compared to 3.3% in 2018. The solid growth was driven by a strong agricultural harvest, as well as sectors dependent on domestic demand, including services (domestic trade, transport, and the financial sector) and construction. In 2019, the GDP of Ukraine was $130.832 billion. Thirty years ago it was $82.709 billion, an increase of over 50%. You can find similar cases of the Kremlin trying to undermine Ukraine's economy here.