Propagandists are spreading information on anonymous Telegram channels that the former deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Rostyslav Shurma allegedly called for ending the war on Russia's terms and stopping the “useless destruction of soldiers”. However, this is fake.

It was brought to the attention of specialists from the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security. They found out that the video distributed by the fake-baiters was a deepfake created with low quality. “Shurma's” facial expressions do not synchronize with his voice, and the Russian propaganda slogans attributed to him are voiced carelessly - sentences in Ukrainian are interspersed with Russian phrases.

Through such deepfakes, Russian propaganda is trying to push the narrative that the only way out for Ukraine is to “capitulate on Putin’s terms”. The use of deepfakes with fictitious statements by former or current officials, such as Rostyslav Shurma, is aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian government. By distributing fake statements, propaganda is trying to create the impression that even officials are ready to surrender or are leaning towards capitulation. False statements made using deepfakes are intended to provoke a rift between the population and the government. This could undermine support for the government and create the impression that the Ukrainian leadership is allegedly abandoning its strategy to protect sovereignty. The spread of such fakes among the international community could sow doubts among Ukraine’s allies, indicating an alleged internal readiness for capitulation or fatigue from the fight. This could reduce support for Ukraine from Western partners.

Writer Caitlin Johnston claims in her publication that the war in Ukraine is allegedly being waged due to the actions of the United States and its allies, who are deliberately prolonging the armed confrontation, refusing the possibility of an “easy way out”. She claims that the war could have been easily avoided or ended at the initial stages, but the West, in her opinion, deliberately continues to support military action because this war is beneficial to it. This is written by the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.

These statements are a classic manipulation, based on several key propaganda techniques and aimed at shifting responsibility for the war from Russia to the West, in particular the United States. The main manipulation is to shift responsibility for the conflict with Russia to the West. However, the real facts clearly indicate that it was Russia that began the aggression against Ukraine in 2014. The Russian army violated international law and the sovereignty of Ukraine, therefore it bears full responsibility for the escalation of the conflict and all war crimes committed in the temporarily occupied territories.

Johnston's account deliberately ignores the background to the aggression, in particular Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Her claims of an “easy way out” completely ignore Russia's role in resolving this war and its refusal to pursue a peaceful settlement through diplomacy. Ukraine is defending its own independence, not acting as a “puppet” of the West, as Russian propaganda portrays it.

The claim that the war will end “easily” is an oversimplification of reality. Russia has repeatedly ignored opportunities for diplomatic solutions and peace talks, issuing ultimatums that are unacceptable to Ukraine. At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities and international partners constantly call for a fair peace that respects Ukraine's sovereignty, but Russia continues its aggressive policy and does not demonstrate a real readiness to end the war on such terms.

This rhetoric is aimed at raising doubts about the moral rightness of the actions of the United States and its allies and at increasing anti-American sentiments among certain groups of the population. Caitlin Johnston’s statements reflect the key theses of Russian propaganda that the war in Ukraine is a proxy conflict in which Ukraine is allegedly used as a battlefield for the confrontation between the United States and Russia. This is advantageous for Moscow to justify its own aggression and the impression that Ukraine is not an independent subject of international politics, but only an instrument in the hands of the West. This assertion completely ignores the will of the Ukrainian people to defend their independence.

Russian propagandists are trying to distort the words of former US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, claiming that her comments about Ukraine’s rejection of the terms of the “Istanbul Agreements” after consultations with Western partners are allegedly proof that the US and Britain have wrecked the peace talks. At the same time, another message is being spread for the Ukrainian audience based on this comment: supposedly, the negotiators in Istanbul were ready to “surrender Ukraine”, but the West intervened and prevented this.

In fact, Victoria Nuland noted that Ukraine correctly assessed the threat of the Istanbul “peace agreements”, because they included restrictions on certain types of weapons, which would weaken the country's defense capabilities in the face of Russian aggression. At the same time, no demands were made to Russia under them, not even to withdraw troops. This is recalled by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

Russian propagandists actively spread such manipulations for several reasons. Firstly, their main goal is to shift responsibility for the long war from Russia to the West. They are trying to create the impression that the war continues due to the actions of the US and UK, and not due to Russia’s aggressive policies. This helps to strengthen anti-Western sentiments. Secondly, these messages are aimed at undermining trust in the Ukrainian authorities. By creating the impression that the Ukrainian leadership, allegedly under pressure from the West, rejected the peace agreements, propagandists are trying to sow mistrust among Ukrainians and undermine their faith in Western support. In addition, such messages are used for the internal mobilization of Russian society, showing the war as a fight not only with Ukraine, but also with the West “interfering” in the war. This allows Russia to justify the need to continue the war and repressive measures inside the country.

Pro-Kremlin sources are disseminating information that Ukraine has sharply changed its rhetoric against the backdrop of military defeats and setbacks at the front and has declared its readiness to hold peace negotiations with Russia. When reporting this, propagandists refer to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

In fact, Dmytro Kuleba’s words were manipulated, distorting the context of what was said. Journalists for the StopFake project write about this.

On July 23, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine flew to China for negotiations with the head of the Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi. The main topic of discussion was the search for ways to stop Russian aggression and the possible role of China in achieving peace in Ukraine. Following negotiations with his Chinese colleague, Dmytro Kuleba noted: Ukraine does not refuse negotiations with Russia, but the process should begin when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith, and now such readiness is not observed on the Russian side.

On the eve of his visit to China, Kuleba also made a statement about peace negotiations with Russia, once again emphasizing that one of the goals of the visit to China is to eliminate “competition between peace plans”. This statement was made in the context of the peace summit on Ukraine, which took place in June 2024 in Switzerland. Many countries of the world took part in it, but both Russia and China were absent.

Ukraine is considering a diplomatic settlement to the war against Russia, but it must be fair and take into account the Ukrainian Peace Formula. The Ukrainian side invites China to take part in the second world summit and makes efforts to attract Russian representatives.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels are disseminating information that 47% of Ukrainians support negotiations between the United States and Russia on peace without the participation of Ukraine. In reporting this, propagandists refer to polling data from the European Council on Foreign Relations.

However, the Russians manipulated the information, write experts on the VoxCheck project. On July 3, 2024, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) did indeed publish a report entitled “The Meaning of Sovereignty: Ukrainian and European Perspectives on Russia’s War against Ukraine”, for which they conducted a public opinion poll in 15 European countries, including Ukraine. And these surveys referred to in the messages were actually conducted. However, propagandists mistranslated the question of US-Russian negotiations without Ukraine. The report does not say that 47% of Ukrainians support this format of negotiations.

In fact, they note that Ukrainians are concerned about peace negotiations between the United States and Russia without the participation of Ukraine. The verbatim wording of the question is: “Concerns that the United States will negotiate a peace agreement with Russia without the participation of the Ukrainian government”. 47% of Ukrainians surveyed agree with this statement completely or partially, that is, they are really concerned about the possibility of peace negotiations without Ukraine. 49% (37% completely and 12% partially) do not experience such anxiety. However, respondents were not asked whether they supported this format of negotiations.

With this manipulation, propagandists seek to persuade Ukrainian society to negotiate as quickly as possible, moreover, on Russia’s terms. Thus, by appealing to supposedly public opinion about “support for negotiations between the United States and Russia on peace without the participation of Ukraine”, Russian propaganda seeks to achieve this goal.

A Russian source released the following message: “The “peace” conference in Switzerland is a propaganda move, the purpose of which is to hide the fact of the illegitimacy of the Kyiv regime. Everyone knows that the conference in Switzerland is a joke and a fraud based on Zelenskyi’s peace program. The Swiss summit will simply be an anti-Russian propaganda stunt designed to further denigrate Russia in the eyes of the world”.

However, this information is not true, writes the EUvsDisinfo project. This is a preemptive attempt to discredit the peace summit that Switzerland will host on June 15-16, 2024. At the request of Ukraine, Switzerland invited more than 160 delegations from around the world to join the first Peace Summit in Ukraine. Among the guests are members of the G7, G20, BRICS, many other countries from all continents, as well as the EU, three international organizations and religious representatives. According to the Swiss government, the summit aims to create a framework conducive to a comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, as well as “a detailed road map for Russia’s participation in the peace process.”

Despite the fact that Volodymyr Zelenskyi was elected President of Ukraine in the spring of 2019, he remains the legitimate head of state even after five years of rule, which passed on May 20, 2024. Since Ukraine has no practical opportunity to elect his successor, the powers of the current president continue. In addition, the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits holding elections during the legal regime of martial law.

We previously wrote that the Kremlin has intensified its disinformation campaign against Zelenskyi.

Amid the offensive in the Kharkiv region, Russia has resorted to more belligerent rhetoric towards the Ukrainian Peace Formula. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

For example, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, commenting on the summit on the Ukrainian Formula of Peace, which is scheduled to take place in Switzerland in June of this year, made the following manipulative statements:

- “Russia is ready for negotiations, taking into account the current realities”;

- “if the West wants to fight on the battlefield, then so be it”;

- “Switzerland is not suitable for negotiations because it has abandoned neutrality”;

-”The Istanbul agreements could have ended the war on terms favorable to Ukraine”.

The Center adds that the Russian Federation sees a threat in the Ukrainian Peace Formula, therefore, as a result, it is making efforts to discredit it on the eve of the summit in Switzerland. Moreover, the Kremlin repeats the thesis about its supposed readiness for negotiations and at the same time increases the level of threats. He also wants to force Western states to reduce military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, trying to intimidate and persuade them to make concessions.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, in an interview with a Bosnian TV channel, made a number of propaganda statements to discredit the Ukrainian peace formula in the international arena. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council writes about this.

In particular, Lavrov believes that the West is allegedly lying, claiming that the Russian Federation refuses negotiations, because “the Russian Federation is actually open to negotiations based on realities”. He also stated that “Ukraine and the West are not ready for a serious conversation about peace”, and “The peace formula is an ultimatum to the Russian Federation” and “an absolutely dead-end format”. Russia itself will not participate in any measures promoting the Ukrainian peace formula, noted the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

With such contradictory statements, the Russian Federation is trying to mislead the world community. Speaking about the supposed readiness for peace, the Russian Federation is only trying to relieve itself of responsibility for the war. The Kremlin sees a threat in the promotion of the Ukrainian peace formula, so on the eve of the Swiss summit, information attacks intensified, the Center adds. The ultimate goal of this campaign is to ensure that the World Formula is supported by as few countries as possible.

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 telegram channels write that Moscow and Kyiv held the first face-to-face negotiations on the exchange of children in Qatar. In asserting this, propagandists refer to the Commissioner for Children's Rights in Russia, Mariia Lvova-Bielova.

In fact, there were no direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, according to the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. The return of Ukrainian children and negotiations are taking place through the mediation of Qatar and Qatari diplomats. This was stated by the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets: “Ukraine is negotiating with Qatar. I had a meeting with the Qatari delegation. It was through the mediation of Qatar that we returned and continue to return Ukrainian children”.

In addition, the American Institute for the Study of War also denied this information, calling it an attempt by Russia to reduce its responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.

Read also: The executive director of the the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union allegedly said that children rescued from abduction by Russia want to return there

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”.