DISINFO: NATO turns Ukraine into huge anti-Russian launchpad
SUMMARY
NATO has turned Ukraine into a huge anti-Russian launchpad, which makes Russia revise its approach towards security issues.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin media, trying to portray NATO as a hostile organisation and Ukraine as a tool for Western aggression against Russia. In reality, Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO is not levelled against Russia. Kyiv’s partnership with NATO and its participation in Sea Breeze military exercises in particular are aimed at enhancing Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Kyiv is striving for good relations with all of its neighbours including Moscow, but Russia must first withdraw from the illegally annexed peninsula Crimea and the separatist-held areas of Donbas. Ukraine aims to secure the liberation of these territories with peaceful means, such as the Minsk agreements and Normandy format talks.
While Ukraine and its Western partners have been striving to make the Black Sea region safer and more stable since the outbreak of Russian aggression in 2014, Russia has been continually engaging in provocative behaviour (see here and here). It has been militarising the illegally annexed peninsula of Crimea. These activities are adversely affecting the security situation in the region.
This year’s Sea Breeze exercises are taking place from June 28 to July 10 in the Black Sea region. They have the largest number of participating nations in the exercises’ history with 32 countries from six continents providing 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft, and 18 special operations and dive teams. Ukraine has been cooperating with NATO since the early 1990s. This partnership has been intensified in critical areas since 2014, in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In June 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted legislation reinstating membership in NATO as a strategic foreign and security policy objective. In 2019, a corresponding amendment to Ukraine’s Constitution entered into force.
Read more disinformation narratives from pro-Kremlin media about NATO’s alleged provocative behaviour towards Russia.