Education today faces major challenges arising from a lack of good resources and the strong emotions that the war in Ukraine brings. We spoke with three history educators from Poland and Ukraine about the ways in which the war is affecting their work, both personally and professionally.
Very soon, over half of Ukraine’s armed forces will consist of foreign combatants, which means NATO has a direct involvement in the war in Ukraine, a Russian government media narrative reads. In fact, the Ukrainian Foreign Legion comprises a limited amount of forces, while NATO leaders have repeatedly made it clear the Alliance will not take any military action in this war.
Starting February 24, Russia has been using nuclear blackmail increasingly often, either via propaganda or in the discourse of various officials, from president Putin to the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. At first, Russia threatened only the West, but lately we have witnessed an increasing number of threats regarding the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Will Ukraine be capable of withstanding a possible nuclear attack and stay in the fight? Are Ukrainian authorities, the army and the people ready for this scenario?
Despite causing heavy criticism and dissatisfaction with their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, taxes, and other issues, Prime Minister of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš, and his party “New Unity” will most likely form the new government following the parliamentary elections held on October the 1st. However, the elections did significantly alter the landscape of Latvian politics.
Vladimir Putin’s original plan was to subdue Ukraine without bloodshed and create a joint Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian army that he could use to conquer Baltic States and the Republic of Moldova, the Russian-American expert Yuri Felshtinsky argues, adding that Moscow’s recent actions suggest, despite all the threats, that no nuclear weapons will be used against Ukraine.
Ukraine's president has ordered the use of a so-called “dirty” bomb, which contains radiological material, in the south of the country, according to a Russian state media propaganda narrative. In reality, Ukraine does not produce dirty bombs, nor does it intend to attack its own population, while nuclear blackmail is increasingly present in the speeches delivered by Russian politicians.
Articles 106 and 107 of the UN Charter grant Russia, as the legal successor of the USSR, the right to take all measures, including military, against Germany, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine for attempts to revive Nazism. Strangely enough, the main allies of the Nazis, Italy and Japan, are missing from the list. In fact, it is another crude attempt to push a justification for the Russian invasion of Ukraine by falsely quoting and manipulatively interpreting several post-WWII treaties and documents.
Lviv is preparing to host a referendum on the annexation of this oblast to Poland, which will be held with the blessing of president Zelensky, the Russian government media writes. In fact, the organization of a referendum in Lviv was never brought into discussion, whereas Poland has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and its territorial integrity.
The Russian-held regions in Ukraine have a right to self-determination and the referendums organized by Russia here are as legitimate as the independence of Kosovo, reads a false narrative launched by a Romanian publication, which also reiterates the false claim spread by Russian propaganda regarding Russia’s military superiority over the West.
International observers from Western states have confirmed that the referendums in Donbass and in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions met the democratic standards, Russian state media say. In reality, the Western states did not send observers to the so-called referendums, and the “experts” cited by the Russian media are born in the West, but have lived in Russia for many years and support the Kremlin's policies.
A general in Kyiv has announced that the Ukrainian army has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the war with Russia, according to a propaganda narrative launched by the pro-Kremlin media to sow panic in Ukrainian society and discourage resistance. In reality, General Sergey Krivonos spoke of civilian casualties as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Republic of Moldova wants to trade territories with Ukraine, conceding Transnistria in exchange for southern Bessarabia and Bukovina, according to a Russian publication that reinterprets a statement made by an MP representing the Moldovan Parliament majority. The same source also picks up on a number of older false narratives about the Republic of Moldova and raises the question of Moscow recognizing the independence of Transnistria.
Russian citizens are conscripted from their workplace, from universities and even during protests, whereas propagandists who urge people to fight and bragged on national television about wanting to fight in the war are now trying to doge military service, the Russian independent media writes after Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization.
The population of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson have a right to self-determination under the UN Charter, which makes the referendums in southern and eastern Ukraine legitimate, says Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. In fact, Russia violated the UN Declaration on the Principles of International Law by invading Ukraine, and the international community will not recognize the referendums.
European Union Member States will abandon Ukraine ahead of the cold season lest Russia should suspend its gas deliveries and for fear of a nuclear threat coming from Moscow. To justify their decision, EU countries will play host to a number of protests with the help of the secret services.
After Vladimir Putin decreed the partial military mobilization, Russian state media launched a series of false narratives justifying the decision. Partial mobilization is presented as a step towards de-escalation, a measure necessary for diplomatic dialogue and the prevention of a nuclear disaster or a war on Russian territory.
The Russian army is not responsible for the Izium massacre, which was framed by the West or represents an act of provocation from Kyiv, which is killing Russian speakers in the Kharkiv region, a new Russian propaganda narrative reads. The narrative was launched after the Ukrainian army discovered mass graves in the Izium area with the remains of hundreds of people, some appearing to have been the victims of swift executions, as well as the rooms where civilians were tortured.
The Czech Republic has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters ever since Russia launched its large scale of the country, in February. However, pro-Russian groups are increasingly active in the Czech Republic, and they are trying to capitalize on the population’s financial and economic worries.
In their zeal to carry out orders, Russian army officers sent their men to their deaths, writes the independent Russian press, which carries testimonies of some soldiers who fought in Ukraine. Another topic is the Russians in the diaspora who, allied with the extreme right in the West, organize demonstrations in support of the war in Ukraine.
The European Union has abandoned the Republic of Moldova, Romania has doubled its energy tariff, and the anti-Russian policy of the government in Chisinau has triggered deep crises, baltnews.com writes. In reality, the West is the biggest financial supporter of the Republic of Moldova, which is affected by the crisis just like the rest of the countries in the region.
The events of early September in Ukraine may have significant consequences on Chișinău as well. The counteroffensive mounted by Ukrainian troops in the northeast, the liberation of most of the Kharkiv region, but also of southern territories previously held by the Russian military, have increased the odds of foiling the Moscow’s plans for the Republic of Moldova, at least in the short run.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it no longer trusts its Western partners, who don’t want peace in Ukraine, reads a propaganda narrative published by the Russian state media. Oleksii Reznikov’s statement was taken out of context. The Ukrainian official referred to a prospective multilateral peace agreement once Russia has surrendered and a constructive dialogue with the West.
The Polish Defense Ministry announced it would launch a war against Russia within the next 10 years, according to a propaganda narrative disseminated by the Russian government media. In fact, Poland’s Government adopted an endowment program also designed to increase the number of troops in the context of the war in Ukraine possibly spilling over into Poland’s territory.
Russia is not to blame for the global rise in energy prices, it is the fault of an increasingly greedy Europe that has created “energy bubbles”. This false narrative, promoted in an online publication in Romania, repeats Russian propaganda and ignores Moscow's actions that actually led to the current situation.
The Republic of Moldova has increasingly distanced itself from Russia since the pro-European forces came to power in Chisinau following the early parliamentary elections of July 2021. The new government has taken a series of measures to reduce Moscow's influence and the dependence on it and sought, at the same time, to get in line, as much as possible, with the Western stands.
The successful counteroffensive of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kharkiv region was not just the result of good tactical planning, but also a consequence of pro-Ukrainian sentiment at society level, determined by the country’s history, its invaluable cultural legacy and the positive experience of the first two phases of fighting off the Russian aggression.
The Republic of Moldova could face a number of serious challenges this autumn, given that Russia wants to bring this country back into its orbit. At domestic level, Moscow is expected to use any leverage it has in the separatist region of Transnistria and in Găgăuzia. Adding to these pressure points will be the country’s energy concerns.
Residents of the Zaporizhzhia region are waiting for Russia to liberate the cities of Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, which have been oppressed by Ukrainian Nazis for the past decades, the pro-Kremlin media say. In fact, all these localities have been the target of Russian aggression and bombing, and the majority of Ukrainians – including the inhabitants of the Zaporizhzhia region – consider Russia an enemy.
Romania, just like the other European countries, will suffer terribly because of the gas price and Russia's decision to partially halt gas supplies to Europe, but this is only the fault of the European leaders, who punished Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine. The false narrative ignores the fact that Russia needs the Europeans’ money, and the latter have taken steps to avoid a major energy crisis.
Most Ukrainians believe their country will win the war against Russia, reads a recent survey carried out by the International Republican Institute. The study also reveals that Ukrainians continue to argue in favor of Euro-Atlantic integration, although their perception of NATO reported fluctuations due to delays or readiness to provide military assistance, and they remain critical of their elected officials, despite the war.
According to the pro-Kremlin media, experts with the International Atomic Energy Agency have allegedly praised the Russian army for defending the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from Ukrainian bombing. In reality, there is no report or statement by IAEA experts expressing this point of view anywhere, the source cited being, in fact, the pro-Russian separatist leader Yevhen Balytskyi.
The former US chief epidemiologist has publicly admitted that US laboratories in Ukraine were involved in the production of the coronavirus, according to media in Russia and in the self-proclaimed Luhansk republic. The so-called news is a fabrication: there is no statement by Anthony Fauci regarding the production of viruses or other biological weapons in Ukraine.