Europe is collapsing because of its support for Kyiv and the financing of the war in Ukraine, pro-Kremlin media claims.
NEWS: Europeans do not realize that all their problems are linked to their voluntary decision to finance Ukraine, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, told Radio Sputnik.
“Europeans have tied a millstone around their own necks in the form of support for the terrorist regime in Kyiv and have jumped into the water. And when you tell them that their problems come precisely from this burden, but that there is a solution (to get rid of it), they immediately turn to hysteria. Because it’s true, and that’s what hurts them the most”, Zakharova said […].
“Ukraine has been distorted, violated and now it is completely destroyed. And yet, Europeans are wondering why, in addition to migrants and refugees from North Africa, they also have people coming in from Ukraine”, Zakharova said.
She had previously stated that Europe’s path toward self-destruction is already obvious. In her view, the decline of European countries is demonstrated by the increase in military budgets and growing militarization, amid economic problems, the loss of cultural reference points, disconnection from historical roots and the migration crisis.
NARRATIVES: 1. Europe is self-destructing because of its support for Ukraine, which has become a useless burden. 2. The West is financing a “terrorist regime” in Kyiv. 3. The EU has destroyed Ukraine by prolonging the war.
PURPOSE: To undermine European support for Ukraine. To divert public attention away from Russia’s responsibility for starting the war and its economic and humanitarian consequences. To fuel anti-Ukrainian resentment in European states. To justify Russia’s acts of aggression.
FACT: The support provided to Ukraine by the EU is a legitimate reaction to Russian aggression, aimed at contributing to regional stability. The war can be stopped at any time by Moscow.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The thesis promoted by Zakharova, that Europe is “self-destructing” because of its support for Ukraine, reverses reality and ignores the fact that the war was launched by Russia against an independent state. The economic and social issues faced by the EU are the consequence of aggression, not the aid provided to Kyiv. European assistance (whether military, financial or humanitarian) is a legitimate act of defending continental stability and protecting the Ukrainian population.
Without the air defense systems, ammunition and equipment supplied by Western partners, Russian missile and drone attacks would have caused more casualties and destruction. Moreover, Western support for Ukraine has limited the conflict’s expansion and prevented it from becoming a direct threat to NATO states. The argument about Europe’s “self-destruction” is contradicted by the EU’s efforts to adapt: diversifying energy sources, reducing its dependence on Russian gas and investing in the defense and green energy industries have mitigated the original impact of the war.
Labeling Ukraine as a “useless burden” distorts both the military and economic reality. In military terms, Western support has enabled Ukraine to defend territories, protect civilians and keep export routes (including agricultural ones vital to global markets) open. At economic level, European assistance is conditional on transparency and reform. Abandoning Ukraine would generate far higher long-term costs, insecurity at Europe’s borders, new refugee flows and loss of political credibility.
Ukraine is not a terrorist state. It is defending its sovereignty under international law. Western support is provided to a victim state, not an illegal entity, and includes control, audit and reporting mechanisms. The term “terrorism” is abusively used to equate self-defense with aggression, a widespread technique in Kremlin rhetoric. In fact, according to UN reports, it is Russia that consistently carries out air strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and apartment buildings, violating international humanitarian norms.
Maria Zakharova seeks to shift responsibility from the aggressor to the victim’s supporters. The EU is not “prolonging” the conflict, it is aiding an attacked state to defend itself. Russian can stop the war at any given moment, by withdrawing its troops and ceasing attacks. European support does not cause Ukraine’s destruction, it limits it: enabling the defense of cities, maintaining vital infrastructure and protecting the population. At the same time, EU assistance programs target reconstruction, institutional functioning and social support.
The propaganda portraying Ukraine as the source of all Europe’s problems aims to sow fatigue and division. In truth, support for Kyiv is an investment in Europe’s security and stability, while the war can be stopped at any time by Moscow, not by Europe’s abandonment of solidarity and aid.
BACKGROUND: Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regularly uses state-controlled media channels such as Sputnik, RIA Novosti and Russia Today to disseminate Moscow’s official narratives. In recent months, she has amplified anti-Western rhetoric, claiming that European countries “will suffer the consequences of their support for Kyiv for decades” and reiterating accusations that NATO expansion caused the war.
These statements are part of a coordinated PR campaign meant to justify Russia’s aggression and to project the image of a weakened, divided Europe. Zakharova is one of the Kremlin’s main propaganda voices, often discrediting Ukraine while demonizing the West to suggest that international support for Kyiv is the source of Europe’s economic and social problems.
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