DISINFO: Ukraine is a colony with a puppet regime
SUMMARY
Ukraine has become an instrument of someone else's game against Russia, a "colony with a puppet regime" which also can be used as a forward springboard for an attack on Russia.
RESPONSE
This article makes a recurring claim about about Ukrainian statehood, portraying Ukraine as a non-sovereign country, as a puppet of the West, mixed with an anti-Russia narrative alleging that the West is using Ukraine against Russia. The aim it to legitimise Russian imperial ambitions over Ukraine as also in Putin's speech on 21 February.
Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state with a democratically-elected president and parliament. The country is not controlled by the US, EU or any other foreign organisation or government. Both the EU and the US respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The West does not want to use Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated by continuous acts of aggression by Russian armed forces since 2014.
On 21 February 2022, in violation of international law, President Putin recognised the independence of two breakaway regions of Ukraine and ordered Russian forces to perform 'peacekeeping' functions.
Several countries, including the EU, are expected to introduce sanctions against Russia in response to the move.
Read more about the most prominent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives surrounding the current Russia-Ukraine conflict in our recent analyses and debunking Kremlin myths here and here.