DISINFO: Involvement of external forces in Ukrainian domestic politics made civil war inevitable
SUMMARY
The split of Ukrainian elites created a split in the country. Since the forces of the fighting internal groups were virtually equal, it became inevitable that external forces were involved in Ukrainian domestic politics, which exacerbated the split and made civil war inevitable.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine being under "external control and presenting the conflict as a “civil war”.
Ukraine is not controlled by the US, EU, NATO nor by any other foreign government or organisation. As to the "civil war" claim, the conflict in Ukraine is not internal but a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014.
There is irrefutable evidence of direct Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine. Russia is supporting its proxies with weapons, its active-duty soldiers serve there and its top military commanders visit the war zone to coordinate joint efforts with the separatists.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Moscow will continue to support these territories. The systematic issuing of Russian passports to several hundred of thousands of persons in the two entities is now also used as a pretext to claim the right to influence and perhaps intervene militarily. Russia is also reported to be using the occupied territories as a testing ground for new weapons.
The EU condemns the clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014. The European Union stated in July 2014 that "arms and fighters continue flowing into Ukraine from the Russian Federation".
Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted Russia's military presence in Ukraine in 2015.
Read similar disinformation cases alleging that the conflict in Donbas is only internal, the Russian army is not a part of hostilities in Ukraine, that conflict in Ukraine is internal, Russia is not a party to it and that Ukraine is an integral part of the Russian World, only Russia can solve its domestic conflict.