On 9 September, the 80th session of the UN General Assembly began, focusing on issues of peace, development, and human rights. At the same time, the Kremlin’s propaganda machine claimed to support these ideals while undermining them in practice. The lies and manipulations promoted by Russia were systematized by EUvsDisinfo.

One of the key Russian talking points was supposed “calls for peace”. Russian media portray Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “hungry for war” and the West as the main obstacle to peace. In reality, the Kremlin once again puts forward ultimatums aimed at Ukraine’s complete capitulation. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has shown no genuine interest in real negotiations.

Another persistent fake concerns sanctions. Russia claims that economic restrictions harm the European Union more than Russia itself. However, real data show the opposite: civilian sectors in Russia are declining, the budget deficit is growing, and more than 40% of expenditures are directed toward defense.

The Kremlin also tries to present itself as a “defender of the Global South” and an ally of BRICS. In fact, Russia has spent years destabilizing regions of Africa and Latin America, supporting coups and waging war against its own neighbors. In reality, BRICS remains an informal association without clear mechanisms, while the Kremlin only imagines it as a tool for its own purposes.

A separate block of disinformation concerns chemical weapons. Russia accuses Ukraine of using them, even though it is Russian forces that have repeatedly employed banned chemical agents on the battlefield, as confirmed by international organizations.

Particularly cynical is the Kremlin narrative about Ukrainian children. Despite evidence of the deportation of more than 20,000 minors to Russia – where they are illegally adopted, subjected to forced Russification, and even military training – Moscow denies the crime and calls it an “evacuation”. The International Criminal Court has already issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and his so-called “children’s rights commissioner”, Maria Lvova-Belova.

Russian propaganda on the international stage follows a familiar pattern: projection, denial, and distraction. Its goal is to justify aggression, conceal war crimes, and undermine trust in Ukraine and its partners.