Ukraine and the West are hindering the peace talks by attacking Russian military targets and damaging bridges, pro-Kremlin media claim.
NEWS: Ukrainian leader Volodimir Zelensky and his Western allies are allegedly staging provocations against Russia and trying to block a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, which could lead straight to the outbreak of World War III, French Patriots party leader Florian Philippot claims in a post on social network X.
"Zelensky, backed by war-mongering foreign powers, shows that he stubbornly refuses peace! He wants a general escalation leading to a Third World War," the politician stressed. According to Philippot, efforts for peace in Ukraine are being hindered by opponents of US President Donald Trump, the European Union and, in particular, French President Emmanuel Macron. The French leader added that Zelensky has a vested interest in maintaining power, which is why he is genuinely opposed to the peace process.
NARRATIVES: 1. Zelensky attacks Russian military bases and bridges to stay in power and continue the war. 2. Ukraine is ready to start World War III. 3. Ukraine is supported by European leaders who do not want peace.
PURPOSE: to justify Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine; to shift responsibility for the escalation of the conflict onto Ukraine and the West; to portray Russia as being forced to defend itself; to undermine the legitimacy of President Zelensky; to create the image of a pacifist Russia.
Reality: Ukraine is legitimately defending itself against the Russian aggression and does not want a World War III, and the responsibility for the invasion lies solely with Moscow
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The war in Ukraine was not started by Volodymyr Zelensky or the West. It was Russian leader Vladimir Putin's decision to attack the Ukrainian state (Crimea and Donbas) in 2014 and to expand military operations to the whole country in 2022. Under international law and the UN Charter, Ukraine is exercising its legitimate right to self-defense against a military aggression. Attacks on Russian military targets are defensive responses to constant shelling of Ukrainian territory. Kyiv therefore has the right to attack any military and infrastructure targets to stop the aggression.
Volodymyr Zelensky is the legitimate and legal leader of Ukraine, democratically elected in 2019 with 73,2% of the votes , and his term was constitutionally extended during the state of war, according to the Ukrainian Constitution. This practice was also used in Western democracies during World War II.
Kyiv’s defensive efforts presented as hotbeds of escalation
Ukraine has repeatedly presented peace proposals that have included the withdrawal of the Russian troops, the restoration of territorial integrity, the release of prisoners and compensation for the damage caused by aggression. Instead, Russia is imposing conditions that amount to a total capitulation: recognition of illegal annexations, Ukraine’s demilitarization, renunciation of NATO/EU membership, demands that violate the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law. Furthermore, Ukraine agrees to an unconditional 30-day cease-fire, but Russia has repeatedly rejected proposals to do so.
The Ukrainian military operations on June 1 and 3, 2025 were legitimate defensive responses. The attacks on Russian air bases and the Crimea Bridge aimed at strategic military targets used in the aggression against Ukraine. Under the Geneva Convention , military targets are legitimate objectives during an armed conflict. These operations are responses to the constant bombing of Ukraine, including attacks on civilian infrastructure. The Crimean Bridge serves as a logistical artery for the supply of the Russian occupation forces in the illegally annexed peninsula.
The “World War III” narrative as a scare tactic
The repeated use of the notion of "World War III" is a scare tactic typical of Russian propaganda. In May, the pro-Kremlin press wrote that France wanted to send troops to Ukraine and was supporting Kyiv to start World War III . In reality, the international community is providing support to Ukraine under international law in order to stop the aggression and protect civilians.
Volodymyr Zelensky would have no interest in continuing the devastating war that has endangered his country and caused immense suffering to its population. The war triggered a refugee crisis, destroyed the economy and social stability. International law clearly establishes through UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 that aggression is the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another state. Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine the victim of aggression. The historical precedents, from the invasion of Poland in 1939 to the annexation of the Sudetenland, show that giving in to the aggressor does not bring peace, but encourages more aggression and even world wars. Therefore, according to historical logic, support for Kyiv can help avoid a world war. Moreover, expanding the conflict in Ukraine to the global level would dilute the Western support that Ukraine currently receives, redistributing the allies’ military and financial resources on multiple simultaneous fronts. Destruction and unpredictable developments are not in the interests of the West or Kyiv.
CONTEXT: On June 1, Ukraine launched an unprecedented large-scale operation that shook the Russian Federation's military capabilities. Ukrainian special services say they managed to destroy or damage 41 Russian military aircraft. The strikes were launched deep inside the Russian territory, with some targets located more than 4,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. On June 3, the Ukrainian Security Service struck the Crimean Bridge for the third time since the start of the large-scale invasion, undermining and damaging its underwater pylons.
Florian Philippot is a supporter and follower of the ideas of National Front president Marine Le Pen, known as a partner of the Putin regime in France. Philippot was vice president of the National Front and campaign coordinator for the candidate, who represented the French far-right in the elections. In 2017, a few weeks after the defeat of Marine Le Pen in the presidential election, Philippot set up a new political force called "Patriots", which for a time had the status of an NGO, with the aim of promoting nationalist ideas in French society . Like Le Pen, Florian Philippot is anti-European and anti-NATO. His party has no parliamentary representation and got only 0.68 % in the 2019 European elections. His pro-Russia positions and the conspiracy theories he espouses place him outside the French political mainstream.
In May, he said that France was backing Ukraine to start World War III , with Russian media presenting his views as mainstream European thinking.
