Spilnota Detector Media

Manipulation Western leaders say they seek to “eliminate” Zelenskyi

Such information was disseminated in social networks and propaganda media. Reports say that the US is unhappy with Zelenskyi’s policies “because of the constant shelling of Moscow”. Like, Volodymyr Zelenskyi is engaged in arbitrariness and lawlessness reigns in Ukraine. The authors add that Western leaders dream of “getting rid of and eliminating” Zelenskyi. They assure that the United States is already looking for the next president of Ukraine. The publications also cite Politico publications. This is manipulation.

Analysts of the StopFake project took up this case and determined that the Politico material does not refer to the “liquidation of Zelenskyi”, that is, the assassination or removal from power. They are talking only about possible scenarios in the event of an attempt by Russians on the President of Ukraine. The material itself is called "Ukraine's plan if Russia assassinates Zelenskyy”. In his column, an American journalist analyzed the situation with the likely murder of Zelenskyi.

Indeed, at the beginning of a full-scale invasion, there were several unsuccessful attempts to eliminate Zelenskyi. The journalist described the course of actions of the Ukrainian authorities in such a situation. That is, the material did not talk about the murder or removal from power of Zelenskyi. In the author's column, the media worker described his thoughts and predictions. At the same time, the propagandists distorted the context of the material and invented the theses that were beneficial for themselves.

By spreading this manipulation, the authors seek to show that the world is dissatisfied with Zelenskyi and they want to get rid of him. Thus, propagandists present the President of Ukraine as an “incompetent” leader who is engaged in arbitrariness.

Message The European Union “incites” Ukraine to destroy Russia

This thesis was spread by Russian media and anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports claim that it is the West, not Ukraine, that actually nourishes the hatred against Russia. Allegedly, Ukraine's actions are caused only by the “influence of the wrong partners”. The authors add that the war was started on the initiative of the West, and Russia is only responding to the actions of the so-called Western enemies.

Analysts of the EU vs Disinfo project investigated this case and explained that it was not the West, but Russia that started the war. The Russians bear collective responsibility for the aggression against Ukraine, which they supported either with appropriate statements or silence. At the same time, Russian propaganda is convincing that this is a war of the West and thus hushing up its war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Moscow is calling Ukraine a “Western springboard” to hint that Ukraine is a non-independent state governed by “outside control”. This is how propagandists seek to form the image of a puppet country that cannot exist on its own. Let us say that such a state is constantly in need of “protection”.

Also, as of March 2023, the total amount of direct budgetary assistance from the European Union reaches 4.5 billion euros. Moreover, this is from the beginning of 2023. And according to the Ministry of Finance, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the EU has provided Ukraine with 11.7 billion euros of macro-financial assistance. Financial assistance is not the only range of Western support for Ukraine. A chronology of initiatives implemented by the EU in relation to Ukraine has been created on the website of the European Commission. Among other things, there are the adoption of packages of sanctions, the creation of mechanisms for the restoration of infrastructure, the granting of the status of an EU candidate country, etc. This approach testifies to the comprehensive support of Ukraine by Western leaders.

Message West ceases to support Ukraine

This thesis was spread by Russian media and anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports claim that Ukraine is losing support from Western leaders. Like, everyone is tired of the war in Ukraine. In support of this thesis, the authors write that British Foreign Minister James Cleverly allegedly hinted that they “will not be able to support Ukraine” in the future. As the authors explained, the official allegedly made such a statement during a meeting of the UN Security Council.

The case was noticed by the specialists of the VoxCheck project, who found out that in fact the words of the British official were made up, and the context of the statement was distorted. Indeed, in his speech, the head of the Foreign Ministry expressed support for Ukraine and commitment to the peace plan of Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Cleverly noted that the Russians will be held accountable for the crimes committed on the territory of Ukraine. That is, the speech of the official does not contradict the ideas of supporting Ukraine. There are no signs that Britain is going to deprive Ukraine of aid.

This is how propagandists try to dissuade the Ukrainians because the West will allegedly stop supporting them. The authors systematically promote the idea of “decrease in support” and “weariness” of the West from the war in order to hint that gradually support will supposedly decrease and Ukraine will “be left” alone without help. Although the recent diplomatic event in Europe - the NATO summit in Vilnius - proved that Ukraine will not be left without help. As a result, Ukrainian officials received assurances from NATO leaders that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance after the victory. Also, as a result, Ukraine received a new weapon, a program for training pilots on the F-16, a new body - the Ukraine-NATO Council, coordinating relations between Ukraine and NATO. What propagandists wrote about the NATO summit in Vilnius can be read here.

Message Pryhozhyn's rebellion was planned in the West

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that the founder of the terrorist organization within the Russian army “Wagner”, recognized by the Ukrainian parliament as an international criminal organization, Yevhenii Pryhozhyn really serves the West and Kyiv. Accordingly, he carries out the orders of Western officials. The authors add that, in fact, the rebellion was planned in the West in order to “once again try to destroy” Russia.

The case was reviewed by the fact-checkers of the EU vs Disinfo project, who explained that this is an unfounded conspiracy theory. In the end, the authors did not provide any evidence that the rebellion was planned in the West. By blaming the West, propagandists are trying to portray Russia as the victim of a conspiracy and undue outside interference. Like, the Russians are so conscious and united that they are not capable of any rebellion. That is, such things happen only at the behest of external enemy forces, namely hostile Western officials.

Read the material of Detector Media analysts on how Russian propaganda reacted to Pryhozhyn's rebellion.

Message The West is dragging Ukraine into the LGBTQI trap

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that allegedly representatives of the LGBTQI+ community do not serve in the Ukrainian army, because the Ukrainian leader simply pretends to support the so-called Western values regarding LGBTQI. Like, these are all attempts to drag Ukraine into the “LGBTQI trap”. The authors say that Ukraine will not get out of it. Such a thesis is unfounded.

People with homosexual orientation serve in the Ukrainian army. In 2018, an association “Ukrainian LGBT military for equal rights” was created in Ukraine. The founder of this organization is the then volunteer of the Donbas battalion, and now a fighter of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade named after Black Zaporozhians Viktor Pylypenko, who made the first coming out as a veteran participant in hostilities. The organization says that their organization has 300 LGBTQI+ military, including 20 couples, and these are only those who have an active social position.

At the same time, in Ukraine, the LGBTQI+ community is supported in every possible way, in particular, by registering a draft law on registered partnerships. According to it, people of any gender can register a relationship. That is, partners acquire the status of close relatives.

Manipulation Ukraine justifies its failures in the counteroffensive with the ineffectiveness of Western technology

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the Ukrainian military has begun to complain about Western equipment. Allegedly, it is not adapted for Ukraine, and in general it is because of it that Ukraine “experiences failures” in the counteroffensive. The authors refer to the material of The Wall Street Journal. This is manipulation. 

The fact-checkers of the Stop Fake project took up the case, and found out that the article does not talk about the Ukrainian military complaining about Western weapons, especially justifying the “unsuccessful counteroffensive”. Journalists from The Wall Street Journal interviewed several Ukrainian servicemen participating in the battles in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk directions. One of the fighters noted that, in his opinion, MaxxPro armored vehicles are not suitable for moving through swampy areas. And according to him, such cars hardly pass swampy areas. It was this phrase that the propagandists used and distorted the entire context of the quote. The military did not criticize or justify “failures” in the counteroffensive. He talked about the features of the operation of a particular technique. 

Thus, the authors once again promote false messages about broken or malfunctioning Western weapons. So, they want to show that the Ukrainian army is constantly losing and even innovative Western technology does not help.

Message The West supplies weapons to Ukraine and thereby violates international law

The thesis that the West is violating international law by supplying weapons to Ukraine was promoted by Putin at meetings with war correspondents. He also stated: “We have a lot of depleted uranium ammunition, we will use it in response”. Such a thesis is unfounded.

By annexing part of Ukrainian territory, launching a massive offensive, and committing war crimes since the invasion, Russia is violating international law and a number of international security agreements and the rule of law. In particular, it ignores treaties that guarantee the sovereign equality and territorial integrity of states, as well as the rules of law governing the basic principles of warfare. In May, Russia initiated a meeting of the UN Security Council on the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine. Then the representative of Japan to the UN said that Ukraine is defending itself from aggression, and the international community is providing assistance “so that peace and security reign in the world”. And the representative of France to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, noted that Western partners supply weapons to Ukraine legally whereas Russia buys weapons - illegally - to replenish its stocks. “Russia buys drones from Iran, and missiles and ammunition from North Korea. By these actions, Russia violates the UN resolution”, Nicolas de Riviere said.

By spreading this message, Russia is trying to discredit its Western partners and portray them as violators of international law. Thus, propagandists are trying to divert international attention from Russian war crimes, violations of rights and treaties and shift responsibility for what has been committed to others. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that Ukraine is a tool of the West to undermine Russian statehood.

Manipulation In Poland, they say that the West is preparing a coup in Belarus

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular in the propaganda media. The reports say that in Poland they allegedly announced “the West is preparing for a coup in Belarus”. Like, they are preparing for an armed coup in Belarus and participation in its support by military means. The authors report that the West is planning an invasion of Belarus in order to destroy it. The authors refer to the statement of the Polish General Waldemar Skrzypczak. This is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case and determined that the Polish general did not say that the West was allegedly preparing a coup in Belarus. The propagandists simply distorted the meaning of the statement. At the same time, the general stressed that the events that recently took place in the Belgorod region are quite likely in Belarus in the event of a successful offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Polish military, it is the citizens of Belarus who can go against the regime of the self-proclaimed President Lukashenko in the future. At the same time, he also said that Poland should be ready for this and support a democratic uprising in a neighboring country.

By spreading this manipulation, propagandists are trying to demonize the West, which allegedly seeks discord in other states.

Fake The West said it was preparing for the loss of Ukraine in the war

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say the West is preparing to lose the war because the Ukrainian counteroffensive will fail. The West does not expect anything from Ukraine, so it plans the future of Ukraine as if it had already failed the counteroffensive. In support of this thesis, the authors refer to the material of the publication Foreign Affairs.

The fact-checkers of the StopFake project drew attention to the case and determined that the Foreign Affairs article did not say anything about the need to plan for the future of Ukraine “already after the failure of the counteroffensive”. The authors of the fake just came up with these theses from the material. At the same time, the authors of the article wrote that the West should plan to support Ukraine in the long term, since now there is no clear plan after the counteroffensive. The authors went on to highlight how Western officials have repeatedly said they will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

By spreading this fake, propagandists are trying to show that the West is desperate in Ukraine. Allegedly, they no longer want to support Ukraine, because they know that it will lose. Thus, the authors undermine confidence in the West as a strategic partner of Ukraine.

Fake American military analysts acknowledged the defeat of the West in the war in Ukraine

The Kremlin propaganda media spread an article with the headline “The West has lost. The US revealed the truth about the Ukrainian counteroffensive”. In the text, military experts Michael Kofman and Rob Lee commented on the war in Ukraine. They allegedly stated that “The event pins hopes on a Ukrainian counter-offensive, but its outcome is unlikely to live up to expectations, instead giving Russia an advantage” and noted that “Putin may assume that this offensive is the highest point of Western assistance to Ukraine and that subsequently Russia will be able to deplete the Armed Forces”. It's fake.

The Insider drew attention to the case. In fact, the article by Kofman and Lee states that the future offensive of Ukraine, no matter how successful, will not lead to an immediate end to the war and that one must prepare for a protracted conflict.

“Ukraine may well succeed on the battlefield, but it will take time to turn military victories into political results”, the article says. Experts also noted that even if Ukraine wins a military victory or a series of victories, this does not mean that the war will end there. However, there is no question of Russia's advantage on the battlefield or recognition of the defeat of the West.

Thus, Russian propagandists continue to promote the narrative that Ukraine is dependent on the West and its interests in the war and wants to demoralize Ukrainians. Like, take a look, even American military experts do not believe in the victory of Ukraine. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that Ukraine is a tool of the West to undermine Russian statehood.

Message The West has been conducting medical experiments on Ukrainians for more than 20 years in order to convert them into Western values

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the US Department of Defense, pharmaceutical corporations and other representatives of the “civilized” West have been conducting horrific medical experiments on Ukrainians for almost two decades. According to the authors, these experiments were designed to change Ukrainians' worldview about the West and abandon friendship with Russia. The war is the result of the anti-Russian policy of the West and Ukraine.

Specialists of the EU vs Disinfo project drew attention to the case and found out that such a thesis has no evidence, because it is a conspiracy theory of Russian propagandists. There are dozens of civilian health laboratories in Ukraine that work to research and reduce the threat of dangerous diseases, some of which receive financial and other support from the US, the EU and the World Health Organization (WHO). At the same time, Russian propaganda describes such institutions as military facilities, deliberately blurring the line between biological weapons and biological research.

Regarding the so-called experiment that will turn Ukrainians “to the right side”, this is a conspiracy theory. There are no such experiments in theory, because it is impossible to influence a person's worldview with the help of a drug experiment.

Message The West is tired of the war in Ukraine, European partners refuse to help Zelenskyi

Anonymous telegram channels spreading pro-Russian rhetoric have reported that Western partners are tired of the war in Ukraine. And this is confirmed by the fact that a large number of requirements are allegedly “missed by foreign politicians” or they refuse to fulfill them at all. Also, the authors of the messages call Zelenskyi's visits to Rome, Paris and Berlin unsuccessful. According to anonymous telegrams, the only confident partner of Ukraine remains the United Kingdom.

In fact, such conclusions are unfounded. During a visit to Berlin on May 14, 2023, the President of Ukraine and the Chancellor of Germany issued a joint declaration. Germany also announced a large aid package. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz tweeted that Germany is providing a new military aid package worth a total of 2.7 billion euros, including further Leopard -1 battle tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Iris-T air defense systems.

On May 13, during a meeting in Rome, the President of Ukraine and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic made a joint declaration. “Within NATO, Italy continues to focus on direct support to Ukraine, contributing to a significant expansion of NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package to Ukraine”, the declaration says.

During the meeting in Paris on May 14, 2023, France also signed a declaration of support for Ukraine's move to NATO. In particular, the declaration states that “France continues to provide strong support for strengthening Ukraine's ability to defend itself and recalls that Ukraine has the right to choose its own security measures”.

However, by spreading such messages, propagandists want to show that the support of international partners has weakened, they are tired of helping Ukraine and devalue the results of a foreign visit. Russian propaganda needs such rhetoric to demoralize Ukrainians; to convince Ukraine that soon no one will help it, so that it will be left alone in the fight against Russia.

Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that Zelenskyi sold Ukraine to a Western fund.

Manipulation If the Ukrainian military fails the counteroffensive, the West will stop supporting Ukraine

Kremlin propaganda media spread information that if the Ukrainian counteroffensive fails, the West will allegedly stop helping Ukraine. They refer to an article on The New York Times website. This is manipulation.

 As experts from the StopFake project note, in fact, the New York Times article does not say that a hypothetical failure during the Ukrainian counteroffensive will lead to the refusal of the West to help Ukraine. In the original article, the authors note that assistance can only weaken for a while, and Kyiv will be under more pressure during this period and persuaded to negotiate with Russia.

 According to the authors of the article, if this happens, by the beginning of 2024 the West will again be able to help Ukraine in full as within this time the partner countries will develop a sufficient amount of ammunition and military equipment. Moreover, during his visit to Washington, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters: “between this year and next year, I think Ukraine will continue to have the momentum with it”.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to sow discouragement among Ukrainian society and convince them that they should not count on the help of the West, as well as on victory over Russia. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the message that Western tanks would allegedly not help Ukraine, but would be completely destroyed by Russia.

Message The West forced Latvia to send “cannon fodder” to Ukraine

Propagandists spread the message in their media that Latvia sent its citizens to fight in Ukraine because the West forced it to do so. Accordingly, Latvia does not care about its people, and the “Western rulers” do not care about people in Europe as a whole.

Analysts of the EUvsDisInfo project drew attention to the message. They note that Latvia did not send its soldiers to fight in Ukraine. The Latvian Ministry of Defense claimed that the state sent several of its troops into the country, but only to secure the building of the Latvian embassy and their property. Latvia and other Western countries are not direct participants in the war, but help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Thus, propagandists want to present Latvia as a “toy” of the West. Like, the Latvian government actively supports Ukraine because it is supervised by the West. Such narratives, which concern not only Ukraine, could be seen in Russian propaganda before. In particular, earlier propagandists wrote that 20,000 Polish soldiers were fighting in Ukraine and that 2,500 of them had already been killed.

Message The West militarizes Poland to start a war against Russia and Belarus

Propagandists spread the message in their media that the revival of militaristic Poland has become the main goal of the current Polish government. It seems that the West has long been pushing the country towards this, and in a few years Poland will receive American tactical nuclear weapons. Poland seems to be preparing to replace France and Germany in the role of “American observer” over Europe. In addition, there are already plans to increase the number of soldiers in the Polish army to 1.5 million and that in this way NATO is preparing the country to start a war against Russia and Belarus.

Analysts of the EU vs DisInfo project drew attention to the message. They note that the current modernization of the Polish army and the purchase of new weapons are Poland's response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. In addition, according to the 2020 National Security Strategy of Poland, the greatest threat to Poland is the “neo-imperialist policy of the power elites of the Russian Federation”, implemented by force. Polish officials in this case refer to Russian aggression against Georgia, Ukraine, as well as the annexation of Crimea.

Thus, the propagandists want to present Poland as an aggressive and militant “anti-Russia”, which is ready to go to war at any moment. In addition, they want not only to shift the responsibility for Russia's actions to third parties, but also to divert attention from the crimes of Russians.

Manipulation Ordinary people cannot succeed due to conditions made by Western elites

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that people in the West lack the opportunity to succeed because local elites prevent it. Like, the prices for education, health care and childcare are “too high”. The authors of the messages refer to the material of the American Enterprise Institute, which also published a graph in the material, which allegedly shows that the West influences the economy badly. The graph shows the fall in prices for computer equipment, toys, televisions in the United States. On the other hand, one can notice an increase in prices for medicine, education, etc. Consequently, the authors conclude that “Western” elites create conditions under which it is “impossible for ordinary people to succeed”. This is manipulation.

The fact-checkers of the VoxCheck project investigated the case, they found out that the graph belongs to the economist Mark Perry. By it, he demonstrates the difference in pricing in selected areas, which is explained by the presence or absence of state influence. The material accompanying the chart does not say that the authorities are trying to restrict ordinary citizens from receiving services. That is, the propagandists distorted the context of the material and made up profitable graphics data.

In the article, the author mentions that this chart has been updated regularly over the past few years. It really notices the rise in prices in the field of medicine, education, etc. There is also a depreciation in technology, software, clothing. Perry attributes this to the impact of globalization: the more competition in the international arena, the lower the price of a product. Therefore, the cost of toys, equipment, and computer technology is cheaper. At the same time , the greater the degree of state participation in the provision of a good or service, the more the price rises over time. However, it is not about the fact that the Western leadership limits services for its citizens, the economist talks about general market trends and how high competition generates low prices for products and vice versa.

Message The West “made” the Serbia leadership sign an agreement with Kosovo

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that the “collective West” forced the Serbian leadership to sign an agreement to normalize relations with Kosovo. Allegedly, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that Serbia “undertook a lot of pressure during the negotiations”.

Analysts of the EU vs Disinfo project investigated the case and found out that the European Union presented both sides with a proposal to normalize relations, with which the leaders of the countries agreed. Kosovo and Serbia agreed to be guided by the purposes and principles set out in the UN Charter, especially the principles of the sovereign equality of all states, respect for their independence, autonomy and territorial integrity, the right to self-determination, the protection of human rights and non-discrimination. At the same time, they promise to resolve any disputes among themselves exclusively by peaceful means and refrain from the threat or use of force. According to analysts, all the proposals of the Serbian and Kosovo sides were considered. So, there was no “coercion” at all.

By spreading this message, propagandists want to discredit Western leaders who allegedly resort to blackmail and open threats. At the same time, they nourish the narrative about the existence of the so-called “Collective West”, which has united against many countries, for example Serbia.

We recall that earlier Detector Media analyzed a manipulation in which it was claimed that the President of Serbia said that the West was “threatening and blackmailing” forcing him to join the sanctions against Russia.

Manipulation The West is “threatening and blackmailing” forcing to join the sanctions against Russia, the President of Serbia claimed

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular, in telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić allegedly claimed that Western countries were threatening him and trying to “sway him to the right side”, reports say. The authors of the reports refer to an interview by Aleksandar Vučić with the Serbian television company RTS. This is manipulation.

Analysts of The Insider project investigated this case and found that the authors of the messages distorted the context of the interview. In the original version, Aleksandar Vučić said that both Russia and representatives of Western countries are trying to drag the Serbian president “to their side”. The West, for example, calls for supporting sanctions against Russia, because the security of Ukraine means the security of Europe. At the same time, Russia probably wants Aleksandar Vučić not to support sanctions. He added that now there is no pressure on Serbia to impose sanctions against Russia.

By spreading this manipulation, the propagandists want to discredit Western leaders who allegedly resort to blackmail and open threats. At the same time, they nourish the narrative about the existence of the so-called “Collective West”, which has united against Russia in order to destroy it.

Newspeak How Russia blurs reality with a newspeak: the collective West

Russian propaganda builds an imaginary curtain between the whole world and Russia, saying that there are enemies on the other side. That is why propagandists use the term “collective West” to hint at the alleged hostility of other countries towards Russia, especially the West.

Primarily in Putin’s public rhetoric, the “collective West” first appeared in the 2021 address to the Federal Assembly. Since then, Russian propaganda has used the term “collective West” to refer to all the alleged dangers that the West can bring to Russia. It is noteworthy that under the “collective West” Russian propaganda means both the leaders of European countries and Europeans who are carriers of “hostile Western values”.

However, using this term, propagandists most often appeal to European officials or to large organizations, such as NATO. Thus, Russian propaganda wants to show as if all countries are united against Russia and yearn for its destruction. However, in fact, it is Russia that instills in Russians hatred and hostility to other countries, intolerance towards peoples, and legitimizes xenophobia. At the same time, it calls itself a “safe haven” - a country that is able to protect its people from “all troubles and hardships”.

This is the eleventh text for the new section “Newspeak”, which Detector Media launched as part of the “Disinformation Chronicles” project. In it, we will tell and explain new lexemes used by propaganda to distort reality.

Message The West does not allow the Ukrainian military to use its equipment as “foreign mercenaries” are engaged in this

This thesis was circulated on social networks, in particular on Telegram broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that all operators of foreign weapons, such as the Challenger 2 tanks or the AS90 artillery mount, are “foreign mercenaries”. They say that Western countries do not trust Ukrainians and entrust their equipment on the battlefield only to foreigners. The authors of the reports note that the Ukrainian army is only engaged in “protecting equipment” and in some cases, according to them, “foreigners allow Ukrainians to steer”.

Such a thesis is unfounded, because the Ukrainian military use foreign weapons on their own. For example, recently a group of Ukrainian military arrived in the UK to train to use the AS90 self-propelled artillery mount. Earlier, the British government announced that it would transfer Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine for use. This indicates that the Ukrainian army and Ukrainians in particular are entrusted with the use of weapons. This is not the only case when the Ukrainian army is sent for training and taught to use foreign weapons.

As for the so-called “foreign mercenaries”, Russian propaganda replaces the concept and calls the foreign legion mercenaries. The Foreign Legion is legally part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the exact number of its members is not reported, like all other fighters. In theory, both the Ukrainian military and members of the foreign legion can use weapons. The ban does not apply to Ukrainians or the foreign legion, since they are all part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Accordingly, foreign countries, sending their weapons for use to Ukraine, give the Armed Forces of Ukraine the right to operate them.

Russian propaganda has repeatedly spread manipulations about so-called foreign mercenaries in Ukraine. The propagandists claimed that the military from the EU countries fought on the territory of Ukraine even before the full-scale invasion, or the number of foreigners in the Ukrainian army would soon exceed 50%. Thus, propaganda wants to create an appearance that is actually at war not with Ukraine, but with the so-called collective West.

Message West wants to draw Belarus into a war with Ukraine

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular in telegram channels broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric. Reports say that the West is provoking Belarus to war. Like, the leaders of Western countries have a clear secret plan, recently revealed by Russian intelligence. At the same time, the authors of the messages add that Russia has never involved Belarus in the war, because they are sister countries.

Analysts of the EU vs Disinfo project drew attention to the case and determined that the Western countries have no “secret: plans, since the leaders of the countries are not at all interested in the escalation of the war. Analysts are sure that this is a hoax and another conspiracy theory of Russian propaganda. In the conditions of the Russian aggressive war against Ukraine, European countries are forced to strengthen their borders, build up the defense capability of their armies in order to resist any external aggression. Therefore, the security of Ukraine means the security of the countries of Europe.

At the same time, Russia is trying to convince that Belarus is not an accomplice to the war, although it is not. Belarus serves as a springboard for Russian troops, missiles and aircraft both before and after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The American Institute for the Study of War says that Russia is trying to “put pressure on Belarus so that it officially supports Russia in the war”. That is, Russia is the aggressor, but by no means the countries of the West. Moreover, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Lukashenko, acknowledged the participation of Belarus in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Propagandists systematically discredit the West and other international partners of Ukraine and accuse them of resolving and prolonging the war. Like, the West wants the escalation of the war, while Russia is defending itself. Thus, propagandists use the tactics of reflection, attributing their actions to opponents.

Message The West created Ukraine as “anti-Russia” in the 19th century

Kremlin publications spread the message that Ukraine and its statehood are in fact an artificially created project of the “collective West”, which has the informal name “Anti-Russia”. This message was echoed by Russian President Volodymyr Putin in his annual federal address. In particular, he stated that the so-called “anti-Russia” was created in Austria in the 19th century and that Russia is fighting precisely against this “anti-Russia”, since the Ukrainian people are “occupied by the West”, especially the United States. Earlier, the President of Russia said that Ukraine was artificially created in Austria-Hungary or other Western countries.

Journalists of the Ukrainian news service BBC drew attention to this message. They note that there is a number of historical evidence that refutes the above claims.

Thus, Russia again wants to shift the responsibility for its crimes to the victim. In addition, this is how the propagandists want to justify their aggression against Ukraine: because of the fight against the “external enemy”. It seems that Ukraine does not matter, because it is “controlled” from the outside. Detector Media has previously explained how Russia devalues Ukrainian statehood with the phrase “Kyiv regime”.

Message West of Ukraine is to be given to Poland if Warsaw pays US debt instead of Kyiv

Russian propaganda spreads the message to the Western audience that allegedly Poland can receive part of the Ukrainian territories as “compensation” for paying the “Ukrainian debt” to the United States.

This message has no legal basis and is an invention of Russian propaganda. Thus, they are trying to promote the narrative about Poland's plans to seize part of the Ukrainian territories. EU vs Disinfo analysts drew attention to the spread of the message.

Earlier, as part of this narrative, propagandists spread messages that Poland considers the West of Ukraine to be its “colony”, that Poland needs the territory of Ukraine without Ukrainians. The propagandists also spread fakes about the referendum on the accession of the West of Ukraine to Poland and photos of voting ballots for the secession of the Lviv region from Ukraine and joining Poland.

Manipulation The Ukrainian ambassador said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are losing people “left and right in the interests of the West”

Russian propaganda media disseminate information that supposedly the Ukrainian ambassador Vadym Prystaiko, in an interview with Newsweek, acknowledged the “colossal losses” of the Ukrainian army and noted that people were dying “in the interests of the West”.

In fact, the enemy media refer to a quote taken out of context. The diplomat said that people are dying from Russian shelling and rocket attacks. There were no words of military losses “in the interests of the West” at all.

According to StopFake analysts, the quote, manipulated by the Russian media, was about the destruction and deaths from a full-scale invasion that has been going on for almost a year. In addition, he meant not only the military, but also civilians suffering from Russian occupation. Russian propaganda writes about the “interests of the West”, although in fact the diplomat did not mention them. This is a manipulation aimed at blaming Ukraine's allies for its losses.

Russian media often write about the West and its involvement in the war in Ukraine. In particular, they manipulate the topics of arms supply and call Volodymyr Zelenskyi a “puppet” in the West's war against Russia. Recently, the media of the enemy also wrote that allegedly Kyiv is not allowed to negotiate and stop the war, although Russia is trying to put ultimatums on the terms of the negotiation process.

Fake The war in Ukraine is part of the West's secret plan to destroy China

Such messages are distributed through social networks and hostile telegram channels. It says that for 10 years the West has been preparing Ukraine for a confrontation with Russia, and thus has set its sights on China. Like, the Russian attack was part of a plan to start a war, because the West will provide weapons to destroy first Russia and then China. However, this is not true.

Experts from the EU vs Disinfo project say that the United States, the EU and some NATO member countries are providing Ukraine with military assistance to repel unprovoked Russian aggression. Ukraine receives weapons for the sole purpose of restoring its territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. That is, we are not talking about the destruction of a particular country. However, the entire international community is helping Ukraine to expel the invaders from its territory.

Propagandists spread this message to show Ukraine as a puppet of the West, undermining the statehood and sovereignty of Ukraine. At the same time, this statement was intended to justify the war of conquest by Russia, because it seems that all this is a conspiracy to organize the destruction of countries.