For a lasting peace in Ukraine, Zelensky will have to cede part of the territory to Russia, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda, which cites pro-Russian experts in the West
Propaganda: The West wants Ukraine to give up part of its territory and not join NATO
NEWS: Settling the crisis in Ukraine cannot take place simply by a ceasefire and freezing of the conflict, says the article by the economist Jacques Sapir. He believes that for the conclusion of peace, in the event of the West ceasing its support for Kyiv, Zelensky will have to cede part of the country's territory, give up the idea of joining NATO and the EU, and give the Russian language an equal status with that of the Ukrainian language at the legislative level. Also, Zelensky will partially demilitarize his state, which could be offset by signing an agreement with Germany, France and Poland on common defense," writes the Izvestia newspaper, citing the French publication Front Populaire.
“It's only four points. In France, Zelensky was shown the way to peace in Ukraine", according to the news published by Radio Sputnik, which mentions that Ukraine will have to accept Russia's conditions in order to reach a lasting peace. "The advice from France was a real shock for Zelensky," the Russian national news agency RIA Novosti points out.
NARRATIVE: The EU states recommend Zelenzky to cede some territory to Russia
PURPOSE: The purpose of this false narrative is to convince the public that Ukraine is forced to cede some territory to Russia in order to achieve peace.
Reality: The EU states support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the opinion quoted by the Russian media belongs to some pro-Kremlin specialists
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: A number of Russian media outlets cited an article signed by the economist and political scientist Jacques Sapir, who writes for the Front Populaire that Ukraine will have to cede certain territories to Russia, renounce European and Euro-Atlantic membership, give the Russian language a special status and demilitarize the country. Otherwise, Russia will not agree to stop its military actions in Ukraine.
Pro-Kremlin propaganda presented the opinion of the French expert as a point of view of the majority of Europeans, stressing that "the advice coming from France was a real shock for Zelensky". Some state media outlets in Russia mentioned in the headline that this was information taken from the French press, while others deliberately omitted this important point, stating that France, the EU or the West are advising Zelensky to accept Russia's terms. Seeing such information in multiple publications, the Russian-language reader concludes that the West is rejecting the peace plan of the Ukrainian president. Jacques Sapir actually recommends that Zelensky accept the Russian capitulation plan, which provides for demilitarization, giving up European integration, etc.
In reality, the economist and political analyst Jacques Sapir does not reflect the point of view of the academic community in France, nor, above all, is he a representative voice at the level of the EU or the West. Sapir was one of the core guests of RT France – the pro-Russian propaganda body on French soil – which operated until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2020 Sapir gave lectures at some Moscow universities and gave interviews to pro-Kremlin media. The French specialist criticizes the EU, US, and NATO policy and praises Russia for its position in international relations. He collaborated for several years with Sputnik – another Russian propaganda mouthpiece. After the closure of these radio and television stations in the EU, Sapir began to write anti-Western and pro-Russian texts in far-right newspapers in France.
The article cited by the Russian press and presented as a point of view of the Western world appeared in the publication Front Populaire, which presents itself as "a sovereignist news website ". The online newspaper promotes Eurosceptic, anti-vaccine, anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian experts, politicians and journalists, being a discussion platform for people with nationalist convictions. So, both the expert and the newspaper in France represent a marginal opinion, by no means that of the European majority, as the pro-Kremlin press claims.
Reality is different from Sapir's opinion. In December 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's ten-point peace plan. According to this plan, the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity must take place, and that, the Ukrainian leader said, is non-negotiable. Western states support the territorial integrity of Ukraine and believe that Russia must withdraw its troops from the territory of an independent and sovereign state.
Ukraine was assured by NATO that it will be supported in the context of Russia's armed aggression as long as necessary, and the Biden Administration wants to support Ukraine with a new military package, necessary for the liberation of the territories occupied by Russia. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Layen, has stressed that the EU will stand by Ukraine "every step of the way, as long as it takes".
Veridica has debunked a series of false narratives appearing in the pro-Kremlin media that aimed to convince public opinion that support for Ukraine is waning in the West. In the summer of this year, the Russian press wrote that Russia’s peace plan is increasingly supported in the EU. According to pro-Kremlin propaganda, NATO is supporting Ukraine to trigger a world war, while Russia and China want world peace.
