DISINFO: Ukraine has failed to become Europe
SUMMARY
Ukraine, in spite of all the hatred towards Russia cultivated by the authorities in Kyiv, has failed to become part of Europe. The coup in Ukraine was the beginning of a new history of the country. Ukraine was struck by a deep economic and social crisis, accompanied by the collapse of the national currency and investment outflow, as well as the armed conflict in Donbas, which claimed thousands of lives and destroyed the region’s industrial potential.
RESPONSE
This case involves several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives: Ukraine as a failed country, its failure to become European, and that Maidan resulted in coup. Several international institutions show that Ukraine’s economy has returned to growth after the recession of 2014-15 and accelerated in the first half of 2018. After 2.5% growth in 2017, real GDP growth picked up to 3.1% in the first quarter and 3.8% in the second quarter of 2018, but dropped again in the third quarter (2.8% according to provisional data). Real GDP growth for the whole of 2018 is now forecast at around 3.3%. There was no coup in Ukraine in 2014. The demonstrations, which began in Kyiv in November 2013, were not provoked from outside but were the result of Ukrainians' frustration with former President Yanukovych's last minute U-turn on the highly-anticipated EU Association Agreement. After seven years of negotiations, Yanukovych refused to sign the agreement due to Russian pressure, and thereby halted Ukraine's progress towards a closer relationship with the EU. Similar cases about the alleged coup d'état in Ukraine can be found here and here. Similar cases about Ukraine failing to become European can be consulted here and here.