DISINFO: Liberal globalists fight Russia with the hands of Ukrainian Nazis
SUMMARY
It is not Ukraine that is fighting, it is the liberal globalists, and they waged this conflict against [Russia] with the hands of Ukrainian Nazis.
RESPONSE
The claim that Ukraine is fighting a proxy war on behalf of "liberal globalists" is a classic pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative that aims to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and to justify Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically elected president and parliament. The country's sovereignty has been violated only as a result of continuous acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since 2014, culminating with a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine starting on 24 February 2022.
Ukraine is defending itself, its territorial integrity, national self-identity, and sovereignty against Russia's armed aggression, and not on behalf of any other power. The decision to defend itself was made solely by Ukraine, its lawful leaders and government, and its citizens.
Russia is the only country responsible for the invasion of Ukraine. It has been coming up with manipulative explanations and false pretexts for its aggression since the beginning of its hostilities. Russia was not forced to invade Ukraine. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. Russia has occupied internationally recognised Ukrainian territories, constantly attacking critical infrastructure, and killing civilians.
Further, the myth of Nazi Ukraine has been actively used by pro-Kremlin outlets as one of the favorite tropes for years to denigrate Ukraine. This myth appeared during the Euromaidan popular protests in late 2013 - early 2014, falsely presented in pro-Kremlin disinformation as a coup. The Kremlin has been using this disinformation narrative since then to discredit Ukraine's shift towards Euro-Atlantic policy.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The West is waging a proxy war in Ukraine to wear down Russia, that Ukraine is a sort of colony to extract resources for the US, that Russia is at war with the US Deep State, which is behind the Ukrainian fascist junta, that Kyiv is a vassal of the US and cannot take any steps without it, and that Western powers using local Ukrainian allies in proxy war to confront Russia.