DISINFO: Ukraine has no right to exist as a state because of the discrimination of its Russian-speaking people.
SUMMARY
In a situation of complete disregard for the rights of the Russian-speaking and Orthodox population and their physical destruction, it is impossible to talk about the legitimacy of Ukraine as a whole. Therefore, any discussion about what will happen to the territory currently occupied by Ukraine is pointless. This can be both the complete liquidation of statehood and the division of the territory by neighbouring countries (as in the case of the Rzeczpospolita at the end of the 18th century) and the partial division and restoration of power in part of the country under strict control of the countries concerned (as in the case of Germany in 1945).
In any case, the Ukraine of the times of Poroshenko and Zelenskyy will be a thing of the past. The only question is the time frame.
RESPONSE
This is part of a disinformation campaign aiming to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, portraying the Ukrainian leadership as pathologically Russophobic and bent on subjecting the country's Russian-speaking population.
There has not been any disregard for Russian-speaking people in Ukraine or any other national minorities in Ukraine — the rights of Russian-speaking citizens are equally guaranteed by the Ukrainian constitution and legislation. Articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution guarantee the free development of the languages and cultures of Ukraine’s ethnic minorities, including Russian speakers.
There is no evidence whatsoever that ethnic Russians were facing systemic persecution at the hands of the Ukrainian authorities, much less the danger of annihilation on grounds of nationality, ethnicity, or cultural belonging. This has been confirmed by reports issued by the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the OSCE.
On 24 February, Putin announced his decision to launch a full-scale military invasion against Ukraine, which started the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. One of the pretexts for the so-called "military operation" is the “demilitarisation and denazification” of Ukraine, according to official Russian statements. As a result of this decision, on 2 March, 39 governments asked the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Read our recent articles on 7 myths of pro-Kremlin disinformation about the Russian military buildup near Ukraine, and Kremlin fabricated pretexts for the further invasion of Ukraine. For the background, see vol. 1 and vol. 2 of the series "What he said and what it really means".
See also our guide to deciphering pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's war.
See our account of the Kremlin's intention of annihilation of Ukraine here.