DISINFO: Russia has no soldiers in Ukraine but NATO sends arms to Kyiv
SUMMARY
NATO keeps sending weapons in Ukraine which Kyiv will use in Donbas. This feeds tensions in the country. At the same time, it is wrong to accuse Russia of having its soldiers in the Donbas region as this is not true.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO and Ukraine.
There is no evidence that NATO is secretly supplying armaments to Kyiv. NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect its member states. Ukraine is not yet a member of NATO but a candidate country and as such is entitled to military and technical assistance, especially in capability development and capacity-building.
Unlike the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who receive foreign military and technical aid transparently, the Kremlin-backed separatists in Donbas get Russian weapons and other military equipment in a clandestine manner. Russia refutes accusations that it sends armaments to its proxies in Donbas but there is plenty of evidence of it and of Russia’s direct involvement in the war on the side of the anti-Ukrainian separatists (read here and here).
As for the recent tensions in Eastern Ukraine, Russia is seen by the international community as responsible for this escalation. On 12 April 2021, the G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative stated that large-scale troop movements, without prior notification, represent threatening and destabilising activities”. On 22 April 2021, Russia started withdrawing its troops from the Ukrainian border. However, this didn't stop clashes in Donbas, and 80.000 Russian troops and significant parts of the Russian military equipment remain in the region.
Read more disinformation stories about Ukraine’s alleged preparations for an offensive in Donbas.