This thesis is spread by referring to Spiegel's German newspaper, which published the article "Why is Germany so slow to supply weapons?". One paragraph in this text is currently being actively discussed on social networks and the media. Namely, Spiegel, citing unnamed sources "close to the German government" (i.e., not in the German government), writes: "There is concern that Ukraine may become overconfident if it wins a series of victories on the battlefield and decides to invade Russia, which will mean that German tanks will be inside Russia again. This concern underscores Berlin's distrust of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. And this is also the reason why Germany's defense industry is not allowed to supply battle tanks. "

However, in another part of the article, the German publication criticizes Chancellor Olaf Scholz for "a mixture of incompetence and reluctance" for "the desire to hide behind his allies." "It seems that Scholz would never have laid down any weapons without massive pressure from abroad and within his governing coalition," the paper said. "And this even though Kyiv needs all the help it can get."

At the same time, the thesis of "provoking Russia" is not new to Western politicians. For example, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, when explaining why NATO cannot close the skies over Ukraine, also said that it would "mean NATO's direct involvement in the conflict and carry the risk of a full-scale war for the whole of Europe." Or US President Joe Biden, who, on the day of the announcement of new military aid to Ukraine, in fact, asked: "not to shoot at Russia." "We do not call on Ukraine to strike outside its borders, and we do not give it such an opportunity with our decisions. We do not want to continue the war just to harm Russia, " he wrote in The New York Times. However, their statements are a precaution not to provoke an escalation rather than distrusting the Ukrainian government.

It is not the first time Spiegel has emerged alongside pro-Russian propaganda. Previously, the publication published a "study on Ukrainian tax evasion schemes" without methodology and other data. It was commissioned by the European United Left and Left-Green Greens, known for its pro-Russian stance. The Ukrainian media later republished this information concerning Spiegel. Read more about this in the article "How the Ukrainian media fell into the hands of Russian propaganda." The Cardiff University Institute for Crime and Security Research has also published research on how manipulations of leading Western media, including Spiegel, are used to spread anti-Western disinformation and promote Russia's pro-Kremlin ideas and geopolitical interests.