WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is willing to recognize Donbas and Crimea as territories of the Russian Federation
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is ready to talk terms with Russia about Donbas and Crimea with a view to ending the conflict, according to the Russian media, which continues to spread fake news about the Russian-Ukrainian war.
NEWS: “Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced he could discuss with Russia the recognition of Crimea, but also the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, the Ukrainian leader said on March 8 in an interview to the American TV station ABC. “I believe we can discuss various aspects referring to the temporarily occupied territories and the unrecognized republics… We can come up with a compromise for the future of these territories”, he said.
Zelensky pointed out that, to him, the important thing is “how these people, who want to become a part of Ukraine, are going to live in these territories.” The Ukrainian president also said that this is not a mere recognition.
[…] Crimea became a part of the Russian Federation after the 2014 referendum. Voting in favor of the unification were 96.77% of the region’s population and 95.6% of the population of Sevastopol.”
NARRATIVE: Ukraine’s president might recognize Donbas and Crimea as Russian territories.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: In fact, the president of Ukraine didn’t say he was willing to discuss the status of the self-proclaimed republics in Donbas or about Crimea’s membership to the Russian Federation. His words were taken out of context and reinterpreted in Moscow’s favor. Asked by the ABC News journalist whether Ukraine would comply with Putin’s terms and recognize the occupation of Crimea and Donbas, Zelensky asked Vladimir Putin to sit down and negotiate. At the same time, the president said Ukraine is seeking dialogue and compromise, but will not surrender. The Russian media described the president’s statement as a compromise, a concession.
After this propaganda message appeared, the pro-presidential party in Ukraine, “The Servant of the People” told international media that during negotiations with Russia the issue of Ukraine’s territorial integrity will not be up for discussion. “We must decide how the people of these territories will organize their lives within the limits of our integral state”, president Zelensky actually said, according to a press release issued by the ruling party, which also said that at the end of the war Ukraine will also comprise Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea.
The purpose of this propaganda narrative is to show the Russian people back home that the “operation aimed at denazifying Ukraine” (which is actually a military invasion) is successful, and that Zelensky is willing to accept Moscow’s terms. In fact, after 2 weeks of fighting, Russia has not achieved any of its tactical objectives, and Ukraine continues to put up a fight.
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