DISINFO: West provokes Russia into nuclear warfare, plans to use nukes against China later
SUMMARY
It is absolutely clear that [the West is] provoking Russia to use tactical nuclear weapons. They plan to use such weapons against China on the eastern front later because they cannot fight against China otherwise. The West may unite some countries such as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines against China with AUCUS being an axis and then use them as cannon fodder in a war against China after striking it with nuclear arms.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing Ukraine’s partners in the EU, the US and other G7 nations of warmongering and escalating the hostilities in Ukraine, while presenting Russia as a peace-loving country. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and in particular following Putin’s recent statement about a change in Russia’s nuclear doctrine.
No evidence is provided to back this claim. Although there are frequent contacts between Ukrainian military officials and their NATO counterparts, there are no NATO troops on the frontline. A broad coalition of more than 50 countries, including some NATO member states, are providing military and financial aid to help Ukrainians defend their country. Ukraine has received Western arms, but these aid packages have not contained nuclear weapons. While tensions between the West and Russia are extremely high, the West's actions are aimed at countering Russian aggression, not provoking a nuclear war.
It is Russia, not US or Western leaders, who is constantly threatening with nuclear weapons. On 27 February 2022, Putin ordered the defence ministry and the general staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a special mode of combat duty. This was the first time since the end of the Cold War that a major nuclear power had issued such a threat. Putin and other top Russian officials have regularly been issuing nuclear threats since the beginning of Moscow’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Neither Ukraine nor its partners have given any reason for such threats.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Change in Russia's nuclear doctrine is a direct response to NATO aggression, that The West helps Ukraine to use a dirty nuclear bomb to blame Russia, and that Kyiv plans to strike nuclear power plants in Zaporizhzhia and Kursk to blame Russia.