Mass media in Russia writes that Ukraine wants to trigger a reescalation of the conflict in Donbass, so that Russia should be handed harsher sanctions. This fake news is based on the statements of certain Ukrainian officials, taken out of context.
NEWS: “The “Servant of the People” pro-presidential faction in the Verkhovna Rada is already publicly declaring that the conflict is necessary to create new problems for Russia at international level”, news-front.info writes. The publication also claims the Ukrainian army is rallying troops in the Donbass region for a large-scale operation aimed at challenging separatist forces.
NARRATIVE: Ukraine is ready to reignite the conflict in Donbass so that new sanctions should be imposed on Russia.
BACKGROUND: Facing an increase in the number of armed incidents in the buffer zone in Donbass, the article claims that the head of the Verkhovna Rada’s security committee, Alexander Zavitnevich told RBC-Ukraine that Ukrainian armed forces are prepared for any scenario, including war. He added, however, that a potential large-scale military operation may prove too painful for Russia, meaning the country could face new sanctions, but also for the separatists, who would sustain significant losses. The Ukrainian official said that, after factoring in all these elements, it’s highly unlikely Russia engages in any major offensive.
PURPOSE: To accuse Ukraine of stirring up trouble in Donbass and to persuade the West there is no legitimate reason for imposing sanctions on Russia.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: Ukraine reacted (Zavitnevich wasn’t the only Russian official to respond) following several incidents in the buffer zone. Its officials only referred to Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself (which is a standard official response) and to the support it expects from the international community. The Russian Federation was not sanctioned for nothing, but for the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula and for supporting separatist forces in Donbass.
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