DISINFO: The West does not allow Ukraine to think and talk about peace
SUMMARY
The West is betting on the continuation of hostilities in Ukraine. Kyiv is not allowed to think and talk about peace.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the West of aggravating the situation in Ukraine and disrupting peace efforts.
Recurring disinformation narrative about the Ukrainian statehood, trying once again to denigrate Ukraine as a non-sovereign puppet of the West and claiming that negotiations are under the Western control.
Russia re-started its unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, despite multiple diplomatic attempts by Western leaders to avert the war.
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 interested in war continuing at the heart of Europe.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz and French President Emmanuel Macron have been especially active in diplomatic efforts with Russia, prior to its invasion of Ukraine.
President Macron spent about 100 hours on phone with Putin discussing situation in Ukraine. He has consistently sought to engage directly with Russian president and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the conflict, including on an 80-minute phone call at the end of last month with the Russian leader and the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
By fully supporting Ukraine, the West does not interfere or deprive Ukrainians from peace talks. "Ukraine will decide political conditions for peace," French President Macron said.
Pro-Kremlin media outlets often cast doubts on Ukrainian statehood and claim that Ukraine is not a real state and 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.
The country is not controlled by any Western government or organisation. The EU, the UK and the US respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moreover, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by almost the whole world with Russia as the outstanding exception.
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.