Russia was forced to attack Ukraine in order to stop the spread of Nazism and prevent a war with NATO, pro-Kremlin propaganda writes three years after the invasion of the neighboring country.
Propaganda: As a result of the special military operation, Ukraine did not join NATO, and Nazism, terrorism and extremism were outlawed
NEWS: The decision to launch the special operation in Ukraine was fair and necessary, because today it is clear how deeply neo-Nazism has penetrated Ukrainian society, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Vladimir Dzhabarov.
“All the events that followed the launch of the special operation showed that the president’s decision was absolutely correct, fair and necessary. I think that subsequent events have once again demonstrated how deeply neo-Nazism has penetrated all layers of Ukrainian society and how powerful extremist plans and terrorist views have become here”, said Dzhabarov.
The Russian official stated that the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine is necessary to ensure Russia’s security. He also emphasized the inadmissibility of Ukraine’s accession to NATO or any other military alliance directed against Moscow.
NARRATIVES: 1. Russia was forced to attack Ukraine, reacting to the spread of Nazism, extremism and terrorist views. 2. NATO is a military alliance directed against Moscow.
PURPOSE: To justify Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to demonize Ukraine and the West in the eyes of the public.
Fact: The “special military operation” is a war of aggression against Ukraine. NATO does not seek to attack Russia
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Denazification was a policy implemented in Germany and Austria after 1945, with the purpose of eliminating Nazi influence from society, culture, the media, the judiciary and politics. Using the same concept in the case of Ukraine has no socio-political justification. Ukraine banned any public expression of communist or Nazi ideology as early as 2015, and far-right parties have never been in power, grabbing poor results in elections.
Russia has never provided trustworthy evidence to support its theses on Ukrainian “Nazism”. For Moscow, everything that does not coincide with the ideology of the “Russian World” is considered a form of Nazim. Russian propaganda uses the term “denazification” as a pretext to justify military aggression against Ukraine, trying to present it as an act of liberation.
There is no legal or political foundation for considering Ukraine a terrorist state. The Ukrainian government has adopted a number of laws designed to prevent and combat terrorism, which are in line with EU standards. Ukraine works closely with various international organizations and external partners, such as NATO and the EU, in order to obtain support in the field of security, military training and information exchange. At the same time, Ukraine is improving the security of its critical infrastructure and taking measures to shield the civilian population against possible terrorist attacks, including by increasing its rapid response capabilities in the context of the war. Ukraine's military actions represent a legitimate response to the Russian Federation’s unprovoked attack and cannot be considered terrorist activities. As a rule, a terrorist state uses violence against individuals not involved in the conflict, with the aim of exerting pressure on political enemies.
NATO is a defensive military alliance, whose purpose is not to threaten or attack Russia. Since its founding in 1949, the alliance's primary purpose has been to deter aggression and protect the sovereignty of its member states. Its fundamental operating principle, enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, states that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all members. NATO has sought to create a framework of cooperation with Russia, with which it signed the NATO-Russia Founding Act in 1997, a document that underscores a mutual commitment to security and transparency.
NATO's expansion was not an act of aggression, but a response to the appeal of Eastern European states to strengthen their security after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Moreover, NATO membership has always been a voluntary process, based on the observance of democratic criteria. NATO has never launched attacks against Russia, nor has it shown expansionist intentions beyond the defense of its members. Its responses to security threats, including a strengthened presence on the Eastern Flank, were triggered by Moscow's acts of aggression, such as the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the financing of the war in Donbas.
Since 2023, pro-Kremlin propaganda has claimed that Russia is not fighting the Ukrainian army, but rather NATO troops. The failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in June 2023 and Russia's initiative on the battlefield have been presented as a defeat for NATO.
BACKGROUND: On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a “special military operation”, which led to the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. In a televised speech entitled “On the Conduct of a Special Military Operation”, Putin addressed the citizens of Russia and Ukraine, the military and the international community, justifying the aggression by invoking the need to protect the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, whose independence is recognized by Moscow. Vladimir Putin cited unfounded accusations of genocide against Russian speakers, neo-Nazi influence in the Ukrainian government, and threats from NATO. Three years on, the tragic war continues to devastate Ukraine, with intense fighting on the frontlines, significant human losses and major geopolitical consequences, while Kyiv continues to resist with the assistance of Western partners.
