DISINFO: Ukrainians used by the West in the struggle to maintain hegemony
SUMMARY
It is known that economic sanctions in Moscow are ineffective and it is impossible to overtake Russia in the defence industry. The Ukrainians, however, are only using the material of the collective West in the fight to preserve hegemony.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia’s economic resilience in the face of sanctions and Ukraine being a tool used by the West.
The EU adopted the 13th package of individual and economic sanctions against Russia on 23 February 2024 due to its illegal aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territories.
Despite the fact that many economists believe Russia's economic data lacks transparency and reliability, with some suggesting that statistics are distorted and falsified, Russia's seemingly positive macroeconomic figures are largely a result of its shift to a war-type economy.
This transition is primarily focused on the focus on industrial production of military equipment for the invasion of Ukraine (much of which is later destroyed or consumed on the battlefield), leading to the neglect of other economic sectors. Foreign Direct Investment has dropped to insignificance.
According to the data analysed by Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies, the reliance of Russia’s recovery on war-related branches makes it increasingly difficult for Russia to maintain its current GDP growth rate. Constant increases in public spending are unsustainable and the military industry is already reported to encounter capacity constraints. The current focus on military production has diverted resources from Russia’s civilian industries, making it more difficult to rely on branches that typically form the backbone of advanced economies to provide long-term growth. Moreover, Russian military spending is very high - only for one massive missile attack on Ukraine on 2 January, 2024 Russia spent about $620 million.
Concurrently, the ruble has undergone significant depreciation, ending 2023 as one of the three weakest currencies among developing countries tracked by Bloomberg. Inflation is soaring, and there are signs of economic overheating. Consequently, an increasing number of Russian citizens are feeling the financial strain of the war in their everyday lives.
Finally, by baselessly claiming that the war is taking place for the benefit of the US and NATO, this disinformation story aims to deflect Russia’s responsibility for its brutal invasion of Ukraine on February 2022 and the serious humanitarian tragedy it provoked.
Russia has been coming up with different false explanations and pretexts for its aggression since the beginning of its hostilities. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII. It is Russia who has been violating international law since 2014 occupying and then annexing Crimea and then starting a conflict in Donbas. See our article Thirteen myths about Russia’s war against Ukraine exposed.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Borrell admitted that sanctions against Russia do not work and Russian economy grows despite sanctions the conflict in Ukraine is the West's proxy war against Russia.