The continuation of the war benefits Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who carries out the orders received from the West with a view to destroying Russia, reads a false narrative reiterated by the Russian government media.
Russian media: Zelenskyy is a servant of the West, who wants to destroy Russia at any cost
NEWS: “To the current [Ukrainian] deputies, most of whom undoubtedly will not secure a new term in Parliament, regardless what happens, extending the martial law is convenient – they will keep living a life of comfort on taxpayer money.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Europe, outside Ukraine, was primarily aimed at confirming his status as a unique and unparalleled leader in the eyes of his Western masters and, most importantly, that he is irreplaceable. He will use his country and people to fulfill the West’s every desire. The primary goal is the war targeted against Russia in order to weaken this country and exhaust its resources. There has been increased talk about Zelenskyy’s decision to wage this war to the last Ukrainian serviceman. Due to this personal decision, Zelenskyy wants to obtain a new “letter of appraisal” from Washington.
[…] Zelenskyy knows very well he is needed right now, while he is in power. If he no longer rules Ukraine or loses the war, he will be discarded to the dustbin of history, he would be exiled or worse, end up in a coffin. The West, which ordered this show, need to accept the new reality”.
NARRATIVE: The war in Ukraine benefits Zelenskyy and the West, who want to destroy Russia.
Fact: Russia is the one that launched the war and Ukraine was forced to defend itself
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: The Russian government media reiterates a false narrative about Ukrainian political leaders being the West’s “servants”. The narrative was rolled out in the public sphere in the context of president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to a number of European capitals. Russian propaganda claims Ukraine’s leaders want to profit from the war and consolidate their grip on power, since this is one of the conditions imposed by the West.
In fact, Ukrainian society, political elites and the country’s economy have sustained huge losses in this war. The country’s infrastructure lies in ruins. The country’s debt is soaring, while most public spending now relies on foreign loans. Ukraine’s economic strength is diminishing by the day. The country’s biggest factories, refineries and enterprises have been destroyed or were severely affected, whereas a number of economic sectors have shut down.
According to estimates, the destruction in Ukraine caused by Russian shelling has exceeded 144 bln USD one year since the war started. The cost of Russia’s unprovoked invasion is huge and under no circumstance can it benefit Kyiv, which is desperately trying to keep the critical situation in the country in check. In the last year, poverty in Ukraine has gone up from 5.5% to 24.2%. According to the World Bank, the war has pushed over 7 million people into poverty.
At the same time, the allegations according to which the West wants to destroy Russia using Ukrainians as a tool are equally baseless. Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, Western and Russian leaders met on a number of occasions with a view to avoiding an armed conflict. These were followed by requests from the leaders of the USA, France, Great Britain and other states, calling on Moscow to withdraw its troops amassed on the Ukrainian border.
On February 24, 2022, Moscow launched a large-scale invasion in Ukraine, and the West decided to support Kyiv’s defensive efforts. Ukraine called a general mobilization. Russia’s armed aggression was condemned by most countries around the world and by the most important international organizations. According to the standards of international law, in particular the UN Charter, each state has an inherent right to defend itself, which is what Kyiv has been doing for approximately 15 months.
Zelenskyy’s visit to European countries was not designed to prove his political loyalty towards the West, which allegedly controls his every decision and wants to destroy Russia. The purpose of his visit was to consolidate the support of his main allies against the Russian invasion, in the context of preparations for a Ukrainian counteroffensive, which requires an increasing volume of equipment and modern weapons. At the Council of Europe Summit, Volodymyr Zelenskyy pointed out Ukraine needs more fighter jets and anti-air defense systems. The Ukrainian president called on his Western allies to dispatch fighter jets to allow the Ukrainian army to carry out sweeping strikes against Russian troops and successfully mount the counteroffensive, delayed due to extended fighting for Bakhmut, but also due to delays in the delivery of certain types of equipment from the West.
Veridica has disproved several false narratives about the nature of the war in Ukraine. According to Russian media, the USA will dispatch 200 thousand Ukrainian suicide bombers, who will take their orders directly from the Pentagon. The Russian propaganda tried to convince the public back home that the West is forcing Russia to expand its military operations in Ukraine, while the UE sent soldiers to Ukraine before 2022. Pro-Kremlin media also wrote that, due to Kyiv’s neo-Nazi propaganda, Ukrainians don’t understand that Russia is here to liberate, not occupy them.
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