DISINFO: The current West’s Drang nach Osten campaign is nearing its end

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

  • Outlet: sputnik.by ( archive, original )
  • Date of publication: April 02, 2025
  • Countries / regions discussed: Russia, Ukraine, France, UK

AI translations:

DISINFO: The current West’s Drang nach Osten campaign is nearing its end

SUMMARY

Russian troops are advancing in Ukraine. The Kyiv regime is desperately expecting a large-scale Russian assault in summer 2025. The collective West shares the concerns of Ukrainian puppets. French President Emmanuel Macron would like to take over the city of Odessa, whereas British PM Keir Starmer is eying to establish the UK's military base in the Ukrainian city of Ochakiv However, Europe’s aggressive intentions are not adequate given its limited economic power.

Russia insists that the root causes of the war in Ukraine were the revival of the Banderite ideology on the state level and Ukraine’s conversion into an anti-Russia. Moscow will combat the anti-Russia either diplomatically through negotiations with the US, or militarily thanks to the full extermination of the Ukrainian army. Another chapter of the West’s Drang nach Osten campaign is nearing its end.

RESPONSE

Repeated pro-Russian disinformation claims questioning Ukraine's sovereignty, portraying the West / EU / UK and Ukraine as Nazi/fascist and European countries as aggressive powers opposed to “peace”.

In this disinformation piece the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is justified by false ‘Banderite ideology’ and ‘anti-Russia’ claims. As our analysis explains, repeatedly referring to 'the root causes of the crisis', the Kremlin is essentially demanding large parts of Europe to turn back time to cement Russian imperialism.

The EU and UK adhere to international law regarding state borders, fully support the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries, and reject any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. No state, except the Russian Federation, has violated Ukraine's territorial integrity. Whereas the idea of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine consisting of European nations’ troops has been discussed by some NATO members, claims about the UK and France aiming to take over Ukrainian territory are false.

Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated in continuous acts of aggression by Russia’s armed forces since 2014 culminating in a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022. The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms this unjustified and unprovoked invasion. Some 50 plus nations around the world including EU member states and the US support Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter article 51. Ukraine’s allies and partners provide it with assistance to only help it repel the Russian aggression.

See also the EUvsDisinfo article Russia wants war, not peace.

See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that West's plan for peacekeeping mission is de facto occupation of Ukraine, that Europe wants to solve its economic problems by a new Drang nach Osten, that the EU's sole agenda is to wage war against Russia to inflict maximum damage, and that the EU wages a colonial war in Ukraine.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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