DISINFO: EU HRVP Borrell leads Europe to war with Russia
SUMMARY
Borrell leads Europe to war with Russia. Firstly, he called for the complete lifting of restrictions on Kyiv's attacks on [Russian] territory. Borrell said that ‘nobody in the EU wants a state of war with Russia, but attacks on its territory with European weapons must be allowed’. Apparently, Señor Borrell invented a new way of fighting: the weapons are [Europe's], the soldiers who are doomed to die are [Ukrainian], but [Europe] has nothing to do with it. Nothing threatens [Europe], as they say; [Europe] has an exclusively peaceful sky above its heads and a bit of Rioja.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the West, specifically HRVP Josep Borrell, of striving for war and seeking to destroy Russia. This baseless claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is presented without any supporting evidence. It follows his comments on 21 August 2024 called for the lifting of restrictions on Ukraine using donated weapons to hit targets in Russia.
The war broke out in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and triggered a separatist revolt in some regions in the east of Ukraine. On 24 February 2022, Russia began its unprovoked and unjustified full invasion of Ukraine under several false pretexts.
Some EU member states the US and other G7 nations are providing Ukraine with military and technical assistance to help it repel Russia's aggression and restore its sovereignty over its internationally recognised borders of 1991.
Ukraine is acting in self-defence, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. Ukraine is not planning to occupy any Russian territories after it liberates its lands from temporary Russian occupation.
European and US leaders have repeatedly stated that they do not intend to disintegrate the Russian Federation. US President Joe Biden in February 2023 addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia. French president Macron stated in February 2023 as well that ‘Russia must be defeated but not crushed.’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented his 10-point peace formula in early 2023, supported by the EU. President of the European Council Charles Michel said at the news conference of the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv in February 2023:
‘Both Ukraine and the EU share the common goal of ending this war — based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We therefore support Ukraine’s Peace Formula initiative and will actively work with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan.’
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The West needs to dismember and plunder Russia, that The West unleashed a cold war against Russia in 2014, and that NATO fights a proxy war with Russia via Ukraine.