DISINFO: The President of Ukraine is controlled by the US, Germany and France
SUMMARY
Despite all the public statements about the right of Kyiv to self-determination, US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron decide what Zelenskyy should do.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative questioning Ukrainian statehood and sovereignty. The statement was made in the context of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, trying once again to denigrate Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a non-sovereign puppet of the West.
The claim that decisions on Ukraine are made by France or Germany is unsubstantiated. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine.
Pro-Kremlin media outlets often cast doubts on Ukrainian statehood and claim that Ukraine is not a real state and is going to tumble down very soon. In reality, present-day Ukraine has been on the world map since 1991 when the Soviet Union disintegrated.
Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine has a functioning government and economy, it is a member of many international organisations (e.g. United Nations, Council of Europe), and a party to international agreements. Ukraine has bilateral diplomatic relations with the majority of countries.
Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 culminating in a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022.
Read more about the EU's response and support for Ukraine.
See our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war.
See our account of the Kremlin's intention of the annihilation of Ukraine here.