DISINFO: NATO uses Ukraine to assert itself and its imperial ambitions
SUMMARY
NATO uses Ukraine to assert itself, its imperial ambitions and its hegemony. The West is not interest in the well-being of Ukraine and Ukrainian people, it only uses Ukraine to expand its selfish interests.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that the West is disrupting peace efforts in Ukraine and that its real aim is to spread its influence in the region to the detriment of Russian interests.
In reality, Western leaders have been repeatedly calling for talks and a peaceful solution to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but Moscow has been ignoring these efforts. The West is not nurturing any imperial ambitions in Ukraine, nor is it striving to spread its hegemony in the region. The fact that Western nations, including NATO member states, are supplying Ukraine with arms means that they are eager to help Kyiv restore its territorial integrity. Any further advancement of Ukrainian troops into internationally recognised Russian territory is out of the question.
According to the 1997 Founding Acton Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, Russia was a partner of the alliance. At their recent summit in Madrid, NATO leaders adopted a new strategic blueprint branding Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.” Finland’s and Sweden’s future membership of the alliance is caused by Russia’s aggressive behaviour in the region rather than by the alliance’s alleged drive for hegemony.
It is Russia which wants to impose its hegemony in the region. According to Ukrainian intelligence data, Russia had been planning to occupy Ukraine in several days’ time, install a pro-Russian government in Kyiv and turn the country into a semi-colony. This plan was later confirmed by Russia itself when Ria Novosti state-Russian news agency published an article in April describing nearly the same scenario. The article titled “What Russia should do with Ukraine” called for the eradication of Ukrainian culture and everything related to it. This process was referred to as de-Ukrainisation. The author also revealed the Kremlin’s plans to divide Ukraine into several entities and subjugate them to itself. The word “Ukraine” should be absent in their names. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently compared himself to Tsar Peter the Great, who the Russian president said had not conquered any Swedish lands but had returned what was Russia’s. By saying it, Putin tried to legitimise the war of aggression against Ukraine.
All this means that Russia is set on spreading its hegemony over Ukraine, subjugating it and finally dismembering it as a state. The West is assisting Ukraine in countering this threat, which does not suppose any imperial ambitions.
Read more disinformation cases about the Russian unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.