DISINFO: War will come to every Russian home because the West wants to destroy Russia
SUMMARY
War will come to every Russian home sooner or later, because the West has set itself the task of destroying Russia either on the Ukrainian front or elsewhere. Russia should learn how to fight seriously. Russia is passing a very serious stage of its history and the victory requires extreme effort.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing the West of striving to destroy Russia. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The war broke out in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and triggered a separatist revolt in some regions in the east of Ukraine. On 24 February 2022, Russia began its unprovoked and unjustified full invasion of Ukraine under several false pretexts.
Some EU member states, the US and other G7 nations are providing Ukraine with military and technical assistance in order to help it repel Russia's aggression and restore its sovereignty over its internationally recognised borders of 1991.
Ukraine is acting in self-defence, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. Ukraine is not planning to occupy any Russian territories after it liberates its lands from temporary Russian occupation.
European and US leaders have repeatedly stated that they do not intend to disintegrate the Russian Federation. US President Joe Biden in February 2023 addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia. French president Macron stated in February 2023 as well that ‘Russia must be defeated but not crushed.’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented his 10-point peace formula in early 2023, which was supported by the EU. President of the European Council Charles Michel said at the news conference of the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv in February 2023:
‘Both Ukraine and the EU share the common goal of ending this war — based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We therefore support Ukraine’s Peace Formula initiative and will actively work with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan.’
From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the EU, the US and their partners were trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow. According to the 1997 Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, Moscow was viewed as a partner of the alliance.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The West needs to dismember and plunder Russia, that The West unleashed a cold war against Russia in 2014, and that NATO fights proxy war with Russia via Ukraine.