DISINFO: West pushing Ukraine to war crimes with the use of chemical weapons, bombing of civilians
SUMMARY
The Munich Conference was supposed to demonstrate to the whole world the unity of the NATO member states. But they were united only in one thing: none of them is going to send their troops to help Kyiv. At the same time, all of them are pushing Zelensky to — let's call a spade a spade — war crimes. They expect monstrous provocations from Kyiv with the use of chemical weapons, the bombing of civilians, the massacres of their fellow citizens. The Ukrainian regime has been given an indulgence in advance for any atrocities.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about agressive West pushing Ukraine for war crimes in Donbas, about false flag operations, chemical weapons attacks and massacres in Ukraine.
There is no evidence to back the claim that Ukraine is preparing a “chemical provocation” in Donbas. Ukraine has never produced or stockpiled chemical weapons.
Neither the US nor any Western country push Ukraine to escalation in Donbas. By accusing the West of inciting conflict in Ukraine, and by labelling Russia’s moves as “merely defensive”, this article aims to deflect any Russian responsibility for the situation. This disinformation is used to distract attention from a renewed build-up of Russian armed forces along the Ukrainian borders in Russia and Belarus. Wesern leaders try utmost to prevent any dangerous developments in the Ukrainian crisis. Speech by President von der Leyen at the Munich Security Conference 2022 read here.
Allegations that Ukraine is attacking its own territory and persecuting its own citizens are absurd. To galvanize domestic support for Russia’s military aggression, Russian state-controlled media have tirelessly sought to vilify Ukraine, accusing it of alleged genocide in eastern Ukraine.
In reality, there is no evidence that Russian-speaking or ethnic Russian residents in eastern Ukraine face persecution – let alone genocide — at the hands of Ukrainian authorities. This has been confirmed in reports published by the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the OSCE.
For an overview of the Kremlin's deployment of the "genocide" narrative regarding Ukraine, see further debunking by EUvsDisinfo, Euromaidan Press, and POLYGRAPH.info.
Read more about the most prominent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives surrounding the current Russia-Ukraine conflict in our recent analyses here and here.
See our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war.
See our account of the Kremlin's intention of annihilation of Ukraine here.