Social networks are spreading information that Volodymyr Zelenskyi is secretly negotiating with Russia to “surrender” Ukraine on dictator Putin’s terms. Moreover, propagandists refer to the words of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz  who allegedly said this. It's a lie.

VoxCheck project analysts took up the case and explained that Scholz did not say that Ukraine was conducting secret negotiations with Russia.

The Chancellor, in an interview with the Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung, only stated that decisions were being discussed that could begin the peace process. However, the German Chancellor did not say that the Ukrainian government was conducting secret negotiations with Russia to sign a peace agreement.

Pro-Russian resources disseminate information that after the “coup d’etat” of 2014 in Ukraine, people who were supporters of peace negotiations with Russia were killed. In asserting this, propagandists refer to Putin, who made a corresponding statement.

In fact, this information is not true, write the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. There was no coup in Ukraine in 2014. Propaganda uses this expression as a revolution of dignity, since Russia cannot come to terms with the strength and determination of Ukrainians in the struggle for independence. Then, as today, Ukrainians defended the European vector of development, democratic values, their rights and freedom.

There was no extermination of Ukrainians who sought dialogue with Russia. Proof of this can be the fact that before the start of a full-scale war, pro-Russian political parties functioned in Ukraine. Moreover, 38 pro-Russian politicians from the “Opposition platform — for life” still owe mandates. Pro-Kremlin media were and are also in Ukraine. Now there are simply clickbaits and manipulations, including about “internal problems of Ukraine”, but after the start of the great war they stopped quoting Russian disinformation, and obvious denim in the interests of Russians disappeared from them.

In the end, there can be no talk of any “peaceful relations between Russia and Ukraine”,  since in 2014 Russia annexed Crimea and started a war in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russian propaganda once again accuses Ukraine of being unprepared for negotiations, but the reason for the refusal is the lack of trust in Russia, because it has repeatedly violated agreements.

• Read also: Russia has always strived for peace, but Ukraine does not want to “agree”.

Propaganda resources are disseminating information that the Ukrainian delegation is going to the World Economic Forum in Davos to “beg new military loans from world business”. For this, the Ukrainian authorities allegedly want to give away state “lands and assets” for them.

In fact, the key goal of the participation of the Ukrainian delegation in the Davos Forum is to use this platform to promote the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this. In Davos, in particular, a meeting of national security advisers and political advisers to the leaders of Ukraine and Great Britain is planned on the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula.

It is worth noting that Russian messages on the topic of “sale of Ukrainian land” appeared back in 2020. It can be argued that Russian propaganda continues to voice its old “talking points”. Previously, we analyzed the message of propagandists that Russia has always strived for peace, but Ukraine does not want to “agree”.

Pro-Russian resources are spreading information that Kyiv is using naval drones to be able to negotiate with Moscow at the end of 2024 or already in 2025. This is what American journalist Andrew Kramer thinks, according to propaganda media. However, this is fake.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Security analyzed this case. In fact, Volodymyr Zelenskyi noted during his press conference on December 19 that the issue of negotiations with Russia is currently irrelevant. The Ukrainian president considers the “peace formula” to be the only working platform. Among its points are the restoration of the security and territorial integrity of Ukraine, security guarantees from other countries and fair punishment of Russia for all war crimes committed. Zelenskyi also noted that it is impossible to compromise with the liar that Putin is.

Andrew Kramer is a pro-Russian journalist who called the Azov battalion “neo-Nazi” and the war in Donbas “separatist”. Ukraine's preparation for negotiations is Cramer's invention. Thus, he and the propaganda resources are trying to convince everyone that Ukraine is doomed to defeat, and negotiations with Russia are the only real way out of the situation.

This thesis was spread by the propaganda media. The reports say that Russia is always concerned about “peace” and is trying to improve the “situation” in Ukraine. The authors add that Russia seems to be offering negotiations, while Ukraine flatly refuses to negotiate. And they summarize: Ukraine is to blame for everything.

The case was processed by the specialists of the EU vs Disinfo project, who explained that Ukraine is not obliged to somehow “negotiate” with Russia, because it is an aggressor country that attacked Ukraine. There is no question of any concessions, since Ukraine is defending its territories and striving for territorial integrity and maintaining borders as of 1991.

Fact-checkers cited Zelenskyi's interview with CNN as an example. There, the President assured that Ukraine would not give up any territories for the sake of ending the war with Russia. That is, the position of Ukraine is unanimous. Moscow commits daily war crimes on the territory of Ukraine, hinders peaceful life. The victim should not negotiate with the aggressor.

Russian propaganda promotes the thesis that Ukraine allegedly gives up the territories temporarily occupied by Russia in order, first of all, to discredit the Ukrainian authorities. Allegedly, it is not going to win back the occupied part of Ukraine.

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that Oleksii Danilov, during a speech for a Lviv TV channel, began to assert that “more and more Ukrainians are in favor of peace talks”. Like, this is “a dangerous trend for Ukraine”. This is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the Center for counteracting disinformation under the National security and defense council investigated the speech of Oleksii Danilov and determined that the propagandists distorted the general context of the speech. Fact-checkers explain that the words of Oleksii Danilov were taken out of context, because he did not speak exclusively about civilian Ukrainians. He spoke about supporters of the “Russian world” and collaborators who could destabilize the situation in Ukraine. In fact, collaborators are circulating pro-Kremlin narratives regarding the so-called peace talks.

By spreading this manipulation, propagandists want to destabilize the mood of Ukrainians, because Ukraine is allegedly preparing for peace negotiations. The Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly stated that it is impossible to negotiate with the aggressor. At the same time, earlier propagandists convinced that no one needed the war, it was necessary to “somehow” negotiate. Allegedly, Ukraine has unleashed a war with Russia and refuses any negotiations, moreover, Western countries allegedly forbade Zelenskyi to negotiate.

We recall that earlier Detector Media analyzed a message in which they claimed that the United States plans to hold peace talks with Russia, since it is America that is waging war side by side with Ukraine against Russia.

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that the US plans to hold talks with Russia in order to “somehow agree to achieve peace”. The authors note that the United States is allegedly at war with Ukraine against Russia, and then America will independently make decisions on negotiations with Russia.

Analysts of the EU vs Disinfo project drew attention to this case and determined that this thesis is unfounded and has no evidence. The West supports Ukraine with military and financial assistance and does not take a direct part in the war. In addition, Western partners act on the principle of not discussing issues related to Ukraine without Ukraine. That is, Ukraine is also a participant in all international processes, no one can make decisions on behalf of Ukraine without the knowledge of the Ukrainian leadership.

According to analysts, there are no significant differences between the United States and Europe in the position on Russia's war against Ukraine. In the conclusions of the Council of the European Union of February 9, 2023, it was unequivocally noted that the EU will support Ukraine for as long as necessary. Western countries, including the United States, are determined to help Ukraine in its victory.

By spreading such a message, propagandists want to convince that Ukraine is supposedly a puppet in the hands of the West, which acts in its own interests and does not take Ukrainians into account. At the same time, Russian propaganda promotes the thesis of a truce as the only way to end the war, so that Russia in the international arena will be considered and tried to “somehow negotiate”.