DISINFO: The war in Ukraine is the West's long-planned war to destroy Russia
SUMMARY
This is no longer a hybrid war, but almost a real war, which the West has been preparing against Russia for a long time, trying to destroy everything Russian from language to culture. This started in Ukraine centuries ago; people were forbidden to speak their native language.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets, accusing the West of aggravating the situation in Ukraine and undermining Ukrainian statehood. It also attempts to deflect responsibility for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine by evoking Russophobia and the need to protect Russian culture as a justification for the invasion. This claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.
First, the Russophobia claim and the evocation of history have been used to justify the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, occupation of parts of Ukraine via illegitimate referenda, and discrediting Ukrainian statehood. It offers an absurd interpretation of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine with the use of the classic disinformation narrative about the Russian world.
While it is true that Ukrainians and Russians share a common history, have similar languages and are mostly Orthodox Christian believers, many neighbouring nations have a common history, linguistic similarity and religious affinity as well. Although some of them were parts of other, bigger states at some point in history, all modern European nations, for example, are now equal and independent states, and none of them claims their neighbours’ territories.
Second, Ukraine is not being used by any foreign government. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014 culminating with a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine starting on 24 February 2022.
The West supports Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country’s efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Read more disinformation cases about the Russian denial of Ukrainian statehood.