Russian Telegram channels are spreading information claiming that 62% of Britons allegedly view the 100-year partnership agreement between the United Kingdom and Ukraine as a ‘threat’ to London's interests. To support this assertion, the propagandists refer to a supposedly conducted ‘survey’ by a company called GLPOR.

In reality, this information is false, according to experts from Ukrinform. GLPOR is not an existing sociological firm; its website was created solely for the purpose of spreading fake surveys that are used in Russian disinformation campaigns.

The GLPOR website claims that it is a British company specializing in international market and political research, allegedly collaborating with Oxford University and working for the British government. However, despite these claims, the GLPOR website cannot be found on any search engine, and reputable international media have never published any ‘research’ from this company, unlike Russian propaganda resources.

The domain of the website was registered only in 2023, and since then, content has been retroactively added to create the illusion of a long-established company.

This is not the first time that propagandists have attempted to use the fake company GLPOR to spread manipulations. Earlier, we analyzed a fake claim about 88% of Ukrainians allegedly not supporting ‘Zelenskyi's decision to cancel the presidential elections’.

Russian propaganda uses fake surveys and invented companies like GLPOR to manipulate public opinion and create the impression of negative attitudes in Western countries toward cooperation with Ukraine. This is part of a disinformation strategy aimed at weakening international support for Ukraine and undermining its position on the global stage.

Member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Oleksii Pushkov, spread the claim that Ukraine is turning into a burden for the EU due to refugees and ‘problems’ with gas. However, this is not true.

This was reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Their experts remind that Ukrainian refugees are not an economic challenge for Europe; on the contrary, they contribute to the growth of the labor market. Thanks to temporary protection status, they legally work, having signed 1.87 million contracts in EU countries by October 2023. Their expenses in 2022 alone amounted to $20 billion, which positively impacted the economies of the countries hosting them. As for gas supply, the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine's gas transportation system has stopped, but the EU has adapted to the new conditions, including increasing the import of liquefied natural gas from other sources. No issues with energy resource provision have arisen, which confirms the successful diversification of the European energy market.

Such messages are aimed at creating a rift between Ukraine and its Western allies.

Russian sources are spreading information that the United States began supplying weapons to Ukraine as early as September 2021, preparing it for aggression against Russia. To support this claim, propagandists refer to an interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for The New York Times.

In fact, this information has been debunked by VoxCheck. On January 4, 2025, Antony Blinken did indeed comment on the Biden administration's policy towards Ukraine in an interview with The New York Times. However, he emphasized that the supply of weapons in 2021 was aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities in response to the threat of a Russian invasion.

“We were able to anticipate the beginning of the conflict and ensure readiness not only for ourselves but also for our allies, partners, and Ukraine. We took care to quietly provide Ukraine with significant amounts of weaponry starting in September and continuing in December before the Russian aggression began. This allowed Ukraine to be equipped with everything necessary for defense, including systems like Stinger and Javelin. They played a key role in deterring Russian aggression: they helped prevent the capture of Kyiv, the occupation of the country, its erasure from the map, and forced Russian troops to retreat”, said Blinken.

It is important to note that the assistance provided by the US in 2021 included only defensive means: anti-tank systems, small arms, ammunition, radios, and medical equipment. Ukraine was not supplied with heavy equipment necessary for an offensive. Moreover, this assistance was a response to the Russian troop buildup near Ukraine’s borders. In the spring of 2021, Russia concentrated around 100,000-120,000 soldiers and heavy weaponry there. By January 2022, Blinken warned that such a concentration of Russian forces posed a real threat of full-scale invasion, which necessitated strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Furthermore, the supply of weapons to Ukraine was not secret. Both Ukrainian and international media openly reported it. In September 2021, Ukraine and the US signed a Framework Agreement on Strategic Defense Partnership, which officially confirmed a new military assistance package worth $60 million to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.

Russian propaganda manipulates the facts to portray Ukraine as the aggressor and justify its own invasion. These manipulations also aim to undermine trust in Western support for Ukraine and reduce the volume of international aid. Earlier, we debunked the claim that Western countries started refusing to supply Ukraine with weapons because they want to stop supporting the war.

Propaganda Telegram channels are spreading information claiming that the signing of a 100-year partnership agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom supposedly means the loss of Ukrainian sovereignty and the transformation of the country into a British colony.

In reality, this is a fake, as noted by experts from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Indeed, on January 16, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a long-term partnership agreement in Kyiv. However, this document contains no provisions indicating the ‘colonization’ of Ukraine.

On the contrary, the agreement envisions the expansion of defense cooperation, including the creation of a new structure to enhance security in the Baltic, Black, and Azov Seas. Additionally, it will foster collaboration in energy, transportation, climate change mitigation, and the transition to clean energy.

It is important to note that the agreement is based on an equal partnership between the two countries and is aimed at developing strategic sectors in both nations. This completely refutes the Russian propaganda fake about ‘colonization’.

Furthermore, according to Starmer, the United Kingdom has already allocated three billion pounds in military aid to Ukraine and plans to provide a loan of 2.2 billion pounds, which will be repaid through interest on frozen Russian assets.

Russian propaganda systematically spreads fakes to undermine Ukrainians' trust in international partners and discredit Ukraine's cooperation with the West. The Kremlin seeks to isolate Ukraine and deprive it of international support, as strengthening international cooperation enhances Kyiv's position on the global stage. In fact, it is the Russian authorities that have concrete plans for the colonization of Ukraine and are trying to disrupt its integration into the global community.

Earlier, we debunked the claim that Ukraine’s European integration is supposedly a form of absorption and colonization.

Russian sources are spreading disinformation, alleging that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi called on Los Angeles authorities to stop focusing on ‘fabricated problems’ and instead prioritize financial support for Ukraine.  

In reality, President Zelenskyi made no such statement. Fact-checkers from StopFake  found no evidence of this claim. On the contrary, in his evening address on January 12, 2025, the Ukrainian president expressed his willingness to assist the United States in combating the California wildfires: “The situation there is dire, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives. This is currently being worked on, and through the appropriate channels, we have offered our assistance to the U.S”.  

Zelenskyi also mentioned that 150 Ukrainian rescue workers are prepared to provide the necessary aid.  

The wildfire situation in California remains critical, with at least 24 reported fatalities and approximately 180,000 people forced to evacuate due to the fire threat.  

This disinformation aims to discredit Zelenskyi by portraying him as a corrupt leader who misuses international aid. A similar narrative was debunked earlier, where Russian sources falsely claimed that eight mansions belonging to Ukrainian generals had burned down in Los Angeles.

Pro-Russian sources are spreading reports that Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska allegedly cancelled a lecture at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) due to mass protests by local residents against “Ukrainian Nazism”. However, this is manipulation.

StopFake reports this. The project's experts found out that the Slovenian publication STA, which the propagandists refer to, noted that the reasons for the cancellation of the event at the Faculty of Social Sciences are unknown. Despite this, Olena Zelenska met with the faculty and the university administration. During the meeting, Rector Gregor Majdic announced the creation of a Ukrainian Studies Department and the cooperation of the Faculty of Architecture with the Karazin Kharkiv University to restore the destroyed buildings. Olena Zelenska also donated books as part of the Ukrainian Bookshelf project to the National University Library. A pro-Russian protester appeared near the library, shouting in English “The war must end” and “Russia will win”. The man was detained by the police. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob condemned such behavior, calling it unacceptable in modern society.

Propagandists spread this disinformation to undermine trust in Ukraine and its representatives on the international stage. Their goal is to create the illusion that Ukraine and its leaders face widespread rejection abroad due to supposedly “unacceptable” policies. Such tactics are also intended to weaken the morale of Ukrainians by promoting the idea of isolating the country. The spread of fakes about protests against “Ukrainian Nazism” is part of an information war aimed at discrediting Ukraine and forming a positive image of Russia as a “victim”.

Mariia Zakharova, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that foreign embassies are allegedly leaving Kyiv due to fears of retaliatory strikes for Ukraine's use of long-range weapons against Russia. They say this is proof that Ukraine is no longer valuable to the West. However, this statement is manipulative.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes about this. Its experts note that not a single embassy in Kyiv has announced its closure or evacuation. On November 20, a number of countries, including the United States, Italy, Spain, and Greece, temporarily suspended the work of their diplomatic missions due to the threat of massive missile attacks from Russia. Such measures are aimed at protecting the lives of employees and citizens in the potential danger zone, reflecting the awareness of international partners of the real threat of Russian aggression.

The purpose of spreading this disinformation is to undermine Ukrainians' trust in partnership relations with the West and sow discouragement in the international community's support for Ukraine. Russia seeks to create the impression that Ukraine is becoming isolated and that its international allies are losing interest due to fear of being held responsible for the escalation of the war. Such fakes are also intended to influence public opinion in Western countries in order to reduce support for Ukraine, justifying Russia's actions as a defensive reaction. This is another attempt to shift the focus from Russia's aggressive policy and distort the reality in which international partners are actively helping Ukraine.

Russian sources are spreading information that the President of Finland Alexander Stubb did not rule out a rapid improvement in relations with Russia. He allegedly said that relations between Russia and Finland will improve and will be used for good.

However, Russian propagandists took Stubb's words out of context, distorting their content. This is reported by the StopFake project. On November 9, 2024, in an interview with the Finnish publication Ilta-Sanomat, the President of Finland spoke about foreign policy and security issues, in particular, possible threats from Russia. Stubb's full quote is as follows: “Yes, someday these relations (between Russia and Finland. - Ed.) will improve and will be used, but now is not the time. You must remember that everything starts with values. I would rather be in that situation in 2024 than in the situation we were in, say, in 1956 in our relations with the Soviet Union and the West”.

In the interview, the Finnish president also mentioned the Kremlin's aggressive policy towards its neighbors several times. For example, when asked by a journalist whether Russia would become a greater threat to Finland after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, Stubb said that the threat assessment and security analysis of Russia remain unchanged. He added that Russia continues to build up its military potential and may, in a few years, reach the level it was at before the invasion of Ukraine. “Russia's foreign policy will continue to be a zero-sum game. I see no end to Russian imperialism, which illegally expands its territory”, the Finnish president said.

Stubb also said that the threat from Russia and instability in the world are forcing Finland to increase its military budget. He finally concluded: “Someone wisely said that Europe has handed over its energy to Russia, its economy to China, and its security to the United States. Europe must take on more responsibility for security and defense”.

The Russians are distributing a video report on behalf of the American publication The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which states that the newly elected US Vice President J.D. Vance allegedly twice - on November 6 and 7 - refused to speak to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrii Yermak on the phone.

However, this video is fabricated. This is reported in the StopFake project. First of all, the WSJ did not publish such a video either on its website or on social networks (X, Facebook, YouTube). In addition, the video has obvious errors indicating its falsity. For example, J.D. Vance is called Vice President, although today the politician has not yet taken office and has the status of Vice President-elect of the United States. The current Vice President of the United States is Kamala Harris.

The video also quotes “political scientist” Dina Titus as saying that “the vice president has more important tasks now than to listen to Zelenskyi's Victory Plan once again”. While Titus could indeed comment on current political events, she is not a “political scientist” but a member of the US House of Representatives from Nevada. In the end, StopFake journalists were unable to find any confirmation that Titus actually made such a statement.

Let us recall that on November 8, 2024, it became known about a telephone conversation between the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the newly elected President of the United States Donald Trump.

Earlier, we analyzed the Russian fake news that Yermak called Macron a hypocritical politician for wanting to cut aid to Ukraine.

Propagandists are spreading information in the media that French President Emmanuel Macron is funding Ukrainian military recruitment offices to mobilize Ukrainians for war. These statements are based on statements by Florian Philippot, a former MEP and populist politician known for his pro-Russian rhetoric. This is reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

They say Philippot was an ally of Marie Le Pen. He regularly voices theses that coincide with Russian propaganda, such as demands that Ukraine return military aid to the West. His statements are used to discredit Western support for Ukraine and to give the French a false impression of an allied relationship with Ukraine.

The idea of “using” Ukrainians for foreign interests undermines morale and destroys solidarity within Ukraine. Propagandists seek to create the false impression among the French that aid to Ukraine is a financial burden on their country. Statements such as “France is paying for mobilization” are intended to create the impression that the war in Ukraine is a burden for Europe, provoking anti-Ukrainian sentiment among European voters. The use of statements by politicians such as Philippot aims to reinforce disinformation with the authority of public figures, even if their positions are marginal and pro-Russian.

Such messages are part of a broader Kremlin information war aimed at undermining international support for Ukraine and creating conflicts between Ukraine and its Western partners.

Propagandists are spreading baseless accusations in the media that Ukrainian intelligence is allegedly recruiting radicals in Syria, Afghanistan and Mali to organize terrorist attacks on Russian territory. However, this information is yet another attempt to discredit Ukraine.

This was reported by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. Such accusations are a typical tool of the Russian information war, aimed at forming a negative image of Ukraine in the international arena.

The purpose of spreading such fakes is for Russia to portray Kyiv as a country collaborating with terrorist groups, creating an image of a “dangerous” and “aggressive” state. Accusing Ukraine of collaborating with terrorists allows Moscow to distract attention from the real facts of its support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the Taliban, as well as the international activities of the Wagner PPK. Russia also tries to use such statements to legitimize its own aggression against Ukraine, justifying military actions and attacks on Ukrainian civilians. The Kremlin seeks to sow mistrust towards Ukraine among its international partners in order to weaken its support from Western countries and prevent further military assistance.

Russian propagandists are claiming in the media that Ukraine allegedly handed over drones to a radical Islamist group in Syria in exchange for a detachment of militants who will join the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to them, this information is based on “sources in the Syrian opposition”. However, this is an unfounded accusation that has no evidence.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes about this. Its experts emphasized that it is Russia that is actively recruiting Syrian mercenaries for the war against Ukraine. As reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, Russia is recruiting the population of war-torn Syria, promising them Russian passports and paid work, from which few return alive. Russia has created a scheme by which Syrians are recruited through travel agencies to “work” in the protection of oil provinces, and then motivated to participate in military operations with promises of high salaries.

Pro-Kremlin media have begun spreading disinformation claims that Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal promised to make peace with Russia in exchange for EU membership. According to the propagandists, this statement was made during the Ukraine 2024. Independence forum.

But StopFake fact-checkers explained that Denys Shmyhal noted during the forum that Ukraine has good results in the area of European integration and is striving to become technically ready to join the European Union as soon as possible. According to the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Ukrainian legislation is already being screened for compliance with European legislation.

The Prime Minister said that Ukraine has ambitious plans to open all areas of negotiations on joining the European Union in the first half of 2025 – during Poland’s presidency of the EU Council. Shmyhal stressed that Ukraine’s European integration should become a prerequisite for a fair peace.

That is, there was no talk of any agreements with Russia.

Russian propagandists use threats of nuclear weapons in response to any strikes on Russian territory to intimidate the West and deter military support for Ukraine. They call for changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine to legitimize the use of nuclear weapons even against non-nuclear attacks, increasing the rhetoric of escalation and attempting to deflect responsibility for the continuation of the war.

However, the main goal of such statements is to force the West and its allies to limit support for Ukraine and complicate the transfer of weapons, including long-range missiles. Russia is trying to create the impression that any strikes on its territory could lead to a global catastrophe due to the use of nuclear weapons, which in turn should demoralize not only Ukraine, but also the international community.

However, Russia's use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear strikes is contrary to international norms. Such statements also indicate that Moscow seeks to avoid discussing its responsibility for the aggression against Ukraine and the course of the war, trying to justify aggressive actions and threats to global security.

Pro-Russian Telegram channels are spreading information that from September 1, Moldovan schools will allegedly hold Russophobia lessons, where schoolchildren will be taught hatred of Russia under the guise of solidarity with Ukraine. The propagandists claim that this is part of a manual developed by the Council of Europe, which the Moldovan Ministry of Education allegedly rewrote and made mandatory for all schools. However, this is manipulation.

In fact, the lesson “Together for Peace” aims to educate solidarity, compassion and peaceful coexistence, not to incite hatred. It will be held only once – on September 1 – as the first lesson of the school year. The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Moldova noted in its document about the lesson that the topic was chosen on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Council of Europe, as well as the beginning of the process of Moldova’s accession to the EU. Propagandists also call any education of young people in the spirit of European values and support for Ukraine “brainwashing”, although in fact, the same document of the Ministry notes that teachers can adapt and change the educational objectives of the lesson and its activities in accordance with the needs and pace of learning of students, and should also encourage students to draw their own conclusions, not impose their views on them. Propagandists present this lesson as an attempt to set children against Russia, whereas the purpose of the lesson is to educate peace and solidarity among young people. There is no evidence that the lessons are about preparing for war or teaching hatred.

Propagandists are trying to turn Moldovan society against European values and institutions such as the Council of Europe, portraying their initiatives as aggressive and hostile. They are also trying to sow fear among the Moldovan population that their children are being taught to hate Russia, which could lead to increased social tensions and a loss of trust in their own government. The propagandists’ message also claims that Ukraine and its allies are using educational programs for military training of children, which is an absurd and completely baseless claim. This is aimed at discrediting support for Ukraine in the international community.

On the eve of the NATO summit in Washington, pro-Kremlin media disseminated an alleged statement by Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said that “no one gave guarantees for Ukraine’s entry into NATO”. The Secretary General also allegedly called China the main organizer of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Propagandists claimed that Stoltenberg’s statements were allegedly made in an interview he recently gave to the American television channel CBS.

However, in fact, Stoltenberg’s words were manipulated, distorting the context of what was said,  the StopFake project wrote.

As for the accusations of the alleged lack of promises to admit Ukraine to NATO, it is important to understand the context. Stoltenberg actually answered the journalist’s question: “Why such a long period for Ukraine’s accession, you talked about a 10-year period, why exactly 10 years, and not one, two or three years, because they were faced with war?” To which the Secretary General said: “Well, no one talked about 10 years, but it is obvious that this is a very serious issue for Ukraine. Because Ukraine is in a state of war. Ukraine was attacked by Russia. Therefore, the most important thing we must do is strengthen our support for Ukraine to ensure its victory. This is a precondition for any future membership of Ukraine”. That is, Stoltenberg did not say anything about the absence of guarantees for Ukraine to join NATO; the statement was invented by propagandists. He spoke about the absence of a clear time frame for Ukraine’s entry into the alliance, and that now the support of Ukraine in the war with Russia is more important.

As for China, Stoltenberg called the country “the main enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine”, rather than its organizer: “The war in Ukraine demonstrates how closely connected Russia and China, North Korea and Iran are. China is the main leader of Russian military aggression against Ukraine. President Xi and President Putin all want NATO and the United States to fail in Ukraine”.

Russia is trying to counteract Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration by spreading disinformation about Ukraine's accession to NATO. As for China, by manipulating information, Russian propaganda seeks to antagonize NATO and Beijing for its own benefit.

The head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces of the Russian Armed Forces, Ihor Kyrylov, said that the Ukrainian regime allegedly “regularly violates the Chemical Weapons Convention”. However, this is not true.

This was brought to the attention of the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. Ihor Kyrylov did not provide any concrete evidence for his accusations. This tactic is typical of Russian propaganda, which tries to create an image of Ukraine as an aggressor. However, in the international community, such statements without backing them up with facts do not find support and only undermine confidence in Russian officials.

Without providing any evidence, Russian propaganda also uses deflection tactics, accusing Ukraine of crimes that are actually committed by the Russian army. Russian propaganda often uses tactics to divert attention from its own violations and create a perception that the war is symmetrical.

Despite the accusations against Ukraine, many messages from pro-Russian telegram channels and other sources indicate the use of chemical weapons by the Russian military. This includes the use of chemicals on the battlefield and violation of international conventions prohibiting such actions. These facts are widely known and documented, which casts doubt on any unfounded accusations against Ukraine.

Thus, attempts by Russian propaganda to discredit Ukraine based on unfounded accusations have no chance of success, since they do not correspond to real facts and only deepen Russia’s isolation in the international arena.

Propagandists are distributing in anonymous telegram channels a fragment of an interview with American economist Jeffrey Sachs for Bad Faith, a YouTube channel with 129 thousand subscribers. In this passage, Sachs argues that Ukraine is becoming the Afghanistan of Europe. However, such a comparison is not appropriate and plays into Russian propaganda.

According to the economist, the Americans were present in Afghanistan for years until everything from infrastructure to civic culture was destroyed. He says it's supposedly very American to “have a place on the chessboard” just to watch this destruction. According to Sachs, the same thing is happening in Ukraine. That is, the basis for Sachs’ comparison of Ukraine and Afghanistan is conditional American intervention in both countries.

The United States invaded Afghanistan as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attack, starting the War on Terror. The purpose of the invasion was to destroy the Al-Qaeda group in Afghanistan and overthrow the Taliban government, which was actively collaborating with terrorist organizations. Ukraine's war against Russia began with a full-scale Russian invasion. In this war, the United States is a partner country that openly supports Ukraine, providing financial and military assistance, but not sending its military to participate in hostilities. It is inappropriate to simply attribute these two cases to US foreign intervention.

For Russian propagandists, comparing Ukraine and Afghanistan is beneficial. Firstly, it helps to demoralize the Ukrainians, who, according to this logic, are fighting for the US to maintain hegemony. And the States do not seem to end the war instantly, although they are capable of doing so. Secondly, comparing Ukraine and Afghanistan gives pro-Russian propagandists reasons to demonize the United States and, accordingly, strengthen the idea that Russia is fighting for peace. Thirdly, drawing analogies between Afghanistan and Ukraine helps to reduce US citizens' support for financing Ukraine. A large number of Americans believe the invasion of Afghanistan was a mistake and support an end to American involvement. Therefore, Russian propagandists are interested in spreading the narrative about the gradual transformation of Ukraine into Afghanistan.

Russian media are disseminating information with reference to the Finnish news service Yle that the overwhelming majority of candidates for members of the European Parliament do not agree to accept Ukraine into the European Union.

“MEPs do not want to see Ukraine in the European Union, but they promised, as well as Moldova”, some netizens comment on the news.

On June 2, the Finnish news service Yle published the results of its survey, which it conducted in the run-up to the European Parliament elections. However, the data distributed online is significantly distorted.

This study does not say that the vast majority of candidates for the European Parliament do not agree to accept Ukraine into the European Union. In fact, the survey concerned the conditions under which Ukraine should gain membership in the European Union. Thus, according to a Yle survey, more than 80% of candidates for the European Parliament believe that Ukraine should not be admitted to the EU without meeting all conditions - that is, the question is not about whether it is worth admitting Ukraine into the union at all, but about whether it is necessary to provide Kyiv with exclusive conditions for EU membership

Russian propagandists claim that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz allegedly said that Ukraine may not become a NATO member in the next 30 years. “You know the solution, this will not happen in the near future. Perhaps not even in the next 30 years”, Scholz said during a meeting with Berlin residents. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that in fact Scholz noted at this meeting in Berlin that before the full-scale invasion, discussing Ukraine's entry into NATO, he assured Putin: “This is not being considered for the next 30 years”. Scholz also accused Putin of attacking Ukraine for “absolutely absurd” reasons, since “NATO has never posed a threat to Russia”.

After the old quote was again picked up by Russian propaganda, the German government commented on the information being disseminated. According to government spokesman Steffen Gebestreit, the situation “has completely changed, and therefore, no, 30 years are no longer relevant”.

During the decade of war in Ukraine, Russian propaganda regularly spread manipulations and fake news that Ukraine would not be accepted into NATO or the EU. Thus, they want to cause skepticism and panic among Ukrainians regarding the actions of their Western partners.

Propagandists are distributing a report allegedly created by the German television channel Deutsche Welle about the Gisec Global exhibition, which took place in Dubai from April 23 to 25. The video claims that robot Sophia, answering a question about Ukraine's victory, allegedly said: “It is obvious that Ukrainians need to surrender, because this is the only chance to save themselves as a nation. The Ukrainians have no chance of winning, but they create the opposite picture. I urge them to accept reality and do what the whole world expects of them”. However, this is fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that there is no such video on the official website of Deutsche Welle and on the official accounts of the channel on social networks.

A reverse image search on Google showed that the fake video consisted of excerpts from various open sources. For example, the video with the robot Sophia is taken from an episode of the American talk show “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, which was released in April 2017. The footage of artificial intelligence researcher Ben Goertzel comes from an interview with Discover Crypto published in March 2024.

While the Gisec Global cybersecurity exhibition did take place in Dubai from April 23 to April 25, 2024, there are no reports of Sophia's work being included in the event. She attended The Global AI Show on April 16-17, which also took place in Dubai. The video, where the robot Sophia allegedly calls on Ukrainians to surrender, was assembled from excerpts of her interview with Aletihad during this exhibition. In the interview, Sophia did encourage the UAE to invest in research and development for AI innovation. She did not call on Ukrainians to surrender and did not mention Ukraine.

Propagandists spread such fake news to dishearten Ukrainians and convince them that the world no longer supports them.

Propagandists are disseminating information in the Russian media that the representative of the Netherlands at the Eurovision 2024 international song contest, Joost Klein, was disqualified precisely because of his public statements about his love for Russia and complaints from Ukrainians. Although they themselves clarify that the “Ukrainian theme” was not the main reason for this decision. This is manipulation.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that even if Ukraine had complaints about the performer's past actions, such as releasing a song about “loving Russian women” or concerts in St. Petersburg after the start of a full-scale invasion, this did not cause his disqualification. Organizers said he was eliminated due to an incident backstage in which Klein allegedly attacked a crew member.

The Dutch delegation indicated that, in its opinion, Klein's disqualification was too severe a measure for the offense committed. The European Language Union, which organizes the competition, has determined that Klein's participation is no longer appropriate given the legal process in this case.

Propagandists spread such manipulations to discredit Ukrainians, create conflict between viewers from different countries and replace the true reasons for the exclusion of a participant with politically motivated ones. Detector Media conducted an online text broadcast of the grand final of Eurovision 2024, where he explained the details of the situation with the disqualification of the Netherlands.

Russian sources disseminate information that in 2022, during negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainian delegation allegedly could not “talk about itself” and was forced to coordinate its position with its allies. Representatives of Ukraine allegedly complained that they had “three bosses”. The negotiations themselves seemed to have been disrupted by Boris Johnson. In asserting this, propagandists refer to the statement of the assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Medynskyi.

This message is a component of the Russian narrative, saying that Ukraine is not a sovereign state, but just a “pawn” of the West, forcing Ukrainians to fight in the interests of NATO, the “Anglo-Saxons”, etc.

Ukraine is building partnerships with Western countries. And the format of these documents proves that Ukraine is an independent subject of international relations. In no country in the world does Ukraine have a subordination system in the “superior-subordinate” format, writes the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

The demonization of Boris Johnson is a Russian IPSO aimed at undermining Ukrainians’ trust in the West. It is for this reason that Russian propaganda came up with the myth that Johnson allegedly disrupted the negotiations in 2022. Thus, he allegedly plunged Ukraine into an “endless war” that will last “until the last Ukrainian”.

Russian resources are disseminating information that Ukraine is allegedly recruiting mercenaries abroad into the International Legion, thereby violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. In asserting this, propagandists refer to the corresponding statement by the speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mariia Zakharova.

In fact, this information is not true. Ukraine does not recruit mercenaries. They write about this in the Center for Strategic Communications and Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Indeed, according to international law, a mercenary is a person who is not part of the Armed Forces of a state and who participates in hostilities in order to receive material compensation. In addition, it significantly exceeds the remuneration of a combatant of the Armed Forces of the same rank and function. The International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is an integral part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with material support at the same level as other formations.

With this fake, the Russian propaganda machine is trying to divert attention from the recruitment of mercenaries by Russia itself. Moreover, the message about the International Legion as “mercenaries” is being spread with the aim of removing its military personnel from the scope of the Geneva Convention, which protects combatants, in particular in captivity. We previously wrote about how Russia blurs reality using the term “foreign mercenaries”.

Propagandists quote Russian Defense Minister Serhii Shoihu, who at a meeting of the Russian Defense Collegium said that the Ukrainian military is fighting in the interests of the war between the United States and Russia. They say that during the full-scale invasion, almost half a million military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces died. He also noted that during the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military allegedly failed to achieve the goals that “NATO instructors” set for them, and thus were able to dispel the myth about the superiority of Western weapons. However, this is not true.

Now we do not have an accurately known number of dead, wounded and missing Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers for the entire time of the full-scale invasion. But on February 25 of this year, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, during a large press conference following the results of the forum “Ukraine. Year 2024” answered this question. According to him, “31 thousand Ukrainian soldiers died in this war”, not counting the fighters of volunteer battalions and the missing. But we see that this figure is significantly less than what the Russian Ministry of Defense states.

Russian propaganda has been promoting the narrative of Ukraine's war in the interests of the United States for long enough to neutralize the fact that Ukraine is defending its own territory, interests and cultural heritage. Claiming failures in the counteroffensive and dispelling the “myth” of the superiority of Western weapons does not reflect the full picture. Ukrainian forces carried out successful defensive actions, repelling attacks and inflicting significant losses on the enemy. For example, in the summer of 2022, an agreement was reached with Russia on a “safe corridor” in the Black Sea through the UN and Turkey. However, this agreement lasted only a year, after which Russia threatened to attack Ukrainian ports. Ukraine responded with naval drone and missile attacks on September 13, 2023, forcing Russia to reduce its ambitions in the Black Sea region.

Also, the “largest tank battle”, according to The New York Times, which the Ukrainian side won, took place on March 2, 2023 and proves the opposite of Shoihu’s claims. The Russian army launched powerful offensive operations after defeats in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Despite successful actions at Bakhmut and Soledar, they were defeated at Vuhledar due to the effective resistance of Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters hit several tank columns heading towards Vuhledar and subsequently inflicted significant losses on Russian troops.

Shoihu’s statements regarding the counteroffensive and losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces look like an attempt to distort circumstances and convince the public of his superiority on the battlefield, despite such a powerful “enemy” as NATO.