DISINFO: Ukrainian Nazis ready to resort to terror in order to derail peace talks
SUMMARY
Neo-Nazis in Ukraine will stop at nothing, even resorting to vile terrorist attacks to derail peace negotiations. Russia, more than any other country, is interested in ending the war and has repeatedly confirmed its readiness to engage in peace talks, often acting as the initiator of ceasefires, which have been violated by the Kyiv regime each time. The countries of the global majority value and respect Russia’s commitment to peace.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing Ukraine of Nazism and terrorism and warmongering. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since launching its unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has consistently escalated the war through mass mobilisation, occupation of Ukrainian territory, missile strikes on civilian infrastructure and widespread war crimes documented by international bodies. These actions are not consistent with a country seeking peace. Russia’s so-called “peace initiatives” have typically demanded that Ukraine surrender territory, sovereignty and its ability to defend itself, terms that no sovereign nation could accept.
Ukraine, in its turn, is defending its territory in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, and Kyiv’s international partners including some EU and NATO member states are providing it with military and economic assistance to help it repel the Russian invasion. Ukraine’s armed forces and security services plan and carry out high-precision strikes on Russian military facilities. These are legal insofar as they are aimed at military sites and production facilities used for military purposes (see here and here).
The narrative portraying Ukraine as dominated by neo-Nazis resorting to terrorism is a long-standing piece of Russian disinformation, unsupported by credible evidence. While far-right groups exist in Ukraine, as in many countries, they do not define the government or society, and their influence is minimal. Since 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed and Ukraine gained independence, the country has elected six presidents and changed parties in government several times, which illustrates political diversity and democratic dynamics.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Ukraine perpetrated terrorist acts on Russian airfields, that Ukraine and Western countries disregarded Russia’s goodwill for peace talks, and that Kyiv and Brussels are the only obstacles to peace.