The idea that the U.S. and NATO are inciting the crisis between Russia and Ukraine stems daily from the Kremlin’s propaganda machinery. The facts, however, state that Western leaders called on Russia in December last year to defuse tensions and promised to support Ukraine in the event of any threat from Moscow. By the end of 2021, Russia started to deploy a large number of troops on the borders of Ukraine. Putin then terminated the 2015 peace agreement for the east and recognized rebel-held regions as independent. Although it repeatedly denied attacking, Russia invaded Ukraine early in the morning on February 24, writes Truthmeter.mk.
Under the syndicating agreement between Truthmeter.mk and Meta.mk, we republish the text below:
We are reviewing a post on Facebook, which blames the West for the military invasion of Ukraine. This is disinformation.
The post says:
They have been stockpiling weapons in Ukraine for several months. Planes, bombs, rockets, all followed by media pomp and threats to provoke war.
In the meantime, they evacuated their people and diplomats to safety.
They pushed the Ukrainians into a war to die and left them alone.
The idea that the U.S. and NATO are inciting the crisis between Russia and Ukraine stems daily from the Kremlin’s propaganda machinery.
It is not true that the EU and the U.S. are to blame for the war between Russia and Ukraine. Namely, Russia invaded Ukraine early in the morning on February 24. Even though it constantly denied attacking.
By air, land, and water, Russia launched a devastating attack on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million inhabitants. For months, President Vladimir Putin denied attacking his neighbor, but then broke the peace agreement, by sending troops across Ukraine’s northern, eastern and southern borders. As the death toll rises, he is accused of disturbing peace in Europe, the BBC reported.
RUSSIA STARTED THE WAR
Russia has long opposed Ukraine’s move to join the European Union and NATO. By the end of 2021, Russia started to deploy a large number of troops on the borders of Ukraine, while constantly denying to attack. Putin then terminated the 2015 peace agreement for the east and recognized rebel-held regions as independent. And, launching the Russian invasion on February 24, Putin accused NATO of endangering the nation’s historic future.
The facts, however, state that Western leaders called on Russia in December last year to defuse tensions and promised to support Ukraine in the event of any threat from Moscow. US President Joe Biden spoke with Britain’s Boris Johnson and the leaders of France, Italy and Germany, who agreed to use all possible means to prevent aggression.
The U.S. and EU expressed great concern and repeatedly tried to prevent the attack. In the Resolution adopted in December 2021 by the MEPs, they called on Russia to withdraw its troops threatening Ukraine and said that any aggression from Moscow would have a high economic and political cost.
Members of the Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Security and Defense went on a fact-checking mission in Ukraine from January 30 to February 1, 2022.
MEPs called for a united response and expressed support for Ukraine in the debate on the EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine on February 16, 2022.
On February 22, leading MEPs strongly condemned the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine as independent entities by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
HOW DID THE WEST REACT?
In addition to condemning and calling on Russia to stop its military activities, the EU and the U.S. have also taken concrete steps:
The NATO Defensive Alliance has made it clear that it has no plans to send combat troops to Ukraine, per se. So far, Member States have been sending weapons and field hospitals, and the EU, for the first time in its history, is buying and sending weapons and other equipment. NATO deployed several thousand soldiers in the Baltic states and Poland and is for the first time activating some of its much larger rapid reaction forces.
• At the same time, the West is targeting the Russian economy, financial institutions and individuals.
• The EU, the U.S., the UK, Japan and Canada are excluding key Russian banks from the international Swift payment network, which enables smooth and fast money transfers across borders.
• The EU, Britain and Canada have closed their airspace to Russian airlines.
• Germany suspended the approval of the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
• Russia’s state-owned media Sputnik and Russia Today (RT), which are seen as the Kremlin’s spokespersons, are banned across the EU
• The Russian city of St. Petersburg will no longer be the host of this year’s Champions League final, and the Russian GP race will not be held in Sochi, according to the BBC analysis.
HOW DOES THE EU SUPPORT UKRAINE?
It is not true that Ukraine was left alone. The West has been supporting Ukraine years back. There are various EU initiatives to support Ukraine’s economy, help the green transition and help the country reform, which can be seen on the European Parliament web portal:
- Since 2014, more than 17 billion euros in grants and loans have been mobilized by the EU and the financial institutions to support reforms in Ukraine,
- Since 2015, over 11,500 Ukrainian students have participated in the popular EU program – Erasmus +.
- The EU invests in projects to stimulate Ukraine’s economy, including direct support for 100,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), assistance to over 10,000 companies in rural areas, and funds to modernize the public IT infrastructure.
- Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, the EU has mobilized more than 190 million euros for Ukraine to support the immediate needs and socio-economic recovery, as well as 1.2 billion euros in macro-financial assistance. The EU has delivered more than 36 million items of personal protective equipment, as well as ambulances, critical medical equipment, and healthcare staff training. In cooperation with civil society, the EU provides food and medicine to vulnerable families.
- On February 16, 2022, MEPs approved a 1.2 billion euro macro-finance loan to help Ukraine cover its 2022 external financing needs.
- In September 2014, the European Parliament gave the green light for the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which includes a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement. The agreement established political association and economic integration between the EU and Ukraine and envisages joint free market access.
- The agreement declared the basic rules for cooperation in the areas including energy, transport and education. It also urged Ukraine to implement reforms and respect democratic principles, human rights and rule of law.
- The Free Trade Agreement has significantly integrated the EU and Ukrainian markets by abolishing import duties and banning other trade restrictions, though with specific restrictions and transitional periods in sensitive areas, such as trade in agricultural products.
- The EU is Ukraine’s main trading partner, accounting for over 40% of the country’s international trade.
EU TO BUY UKRAINE WEAPONS FOR 450 MILLION EUROS
The post tendentiously claims that Ukraine is left alone. However, that is not the case. It has the support of the United States and the EU.
The EU Member States agreed on Sunday to allocate 450 million euros to buy weapons for Ukraine, the Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell announced.
The aid will not be limited to ammunition only, but fighter jets will be sent to Ukraine, Borrell said.
The measure is part of a comprehensive support package for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia agreed by the 27 Member States. The ban on transactions with the Central Bank of Russia has also been approved.
A complete ban on Russian airlines flying over the territory of all EU Member States has also been introduced.
Taking into consideration all the presented facts, we assess this post as disinformation.
