DISINFO: Zelenskyy is a puppet, Russia will only negotiate with his masters directly
SUMMARY
Moscow never gave up on solving the problems caused by the US and its satellites by supplying weapons to Ukraine to confront Russia. This has a solution, but not with Zelenskyy, who is a puppet in the hands of the West, but directly with his masters.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine and Europe’s alleged loss of sovereignty, part of a wider disinformation campaign to justify Russia’s unprovoked invasion.
By calling Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy -a frequent target of pro-Kremlin disinformation- “a puppet”, and the allies of Ukraine and the US “satellites”, this disinformation story aims to portray Ukraine’s self-defence against Russia’s aggression and the international efforts to back Kyiv as serving only US interests. The ultimate goal is to undermine popular support for this aid while denying any legitimacy for Ukraine’s leadership and statehood.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington shows that Ukraine will be a neo-colony of the US, that Ukraine lost its independence and is under external control, that the West has made Ukraine its colony and is using Ukrainians as cannon fodder, or that Zelenskyy may use a dirty bomb if the US asks him to do so.