DISINFO: For the West, Ukraine is a "springboard" in its confrontation with Russia
SUMMARY
For the West, Ukraine is a springboard in its confrontation with Russia, "an unfortunate but convenient object". The US and the EU are obsessed with Ukraine because they hate Russia. The Western countries' love affair with Ukraine is only part of their historical rejection of Russia as a strong geopolitical adversary.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that Ukraine is a "springboard" against Russia and that the West is pushing Ukraine towards a war with Russia. The claim aims to deflect any Russian responsibility for the unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022.
Western leaders did not aim for a confrontation with Russia and had tried diplomatically to avoid any possible escalations in Ukraine. Several world leaders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the weeks before the invasion, as a 190,000 strong Russian military force was building up on the border of Ukraine.
On 24 February 2022, Putin announced his decision to launch a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, which started the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. One of the pretexts for the so-called "military operation" was NATO’s military infrastructure approaching the Russian border. The invasion was followed by airstrikes on military objects. Russian troops later started bombing and shelling civilian targets as well.
As a result of this decision, on 2 March, 39 governments asked the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
See our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war and read our account of the Kremlin's intention to annihilate Ukraine here.