The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked. Not only Western but also many other nations around the world support Ukraine with military and financial aid for the country's efficient self-defence, in accordance with the UN Charter article 51, to stop Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
€53 billion of the €138 billion (38.4%) were provided to Ukraine in the last three months, since December 2023, when the amount of EU support totaled €85 billion. This demonstrates that European support to Ukraine has been on an upward trajectory contrary to claims made by pro-Kremlin outlets.
The claims that Polish foreign and security policy is based on territorial revanchism and that the Polish elites are trying to revive the "Polish Empire" are groundless.
Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries, and it rejects any "imperial" ambitions towards other countries.
Pro-Kremlin outlets falsely portray as a coup d'état the Euromaidan revolution, which constituted of popular demonstrations that began in Kyiv in November of 2013 and brought hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to the streets to protest against a political decision of Viktor Yanukovych's government, which at the last minute withdrew from a long-negotiated political association and free trade agreement with the EU, choosing instead to accept a $15 billion economic bailout to Russia.
The statement that the sanctions have not destroyed the Russian economy is manipulative and misleading. The restrictive measures from the EU, the US and their partners have damaged it severely. Russia's economy in 2022 contracted by 2.1 per cent. It is expected to grow by 2.6 per cent in 2024 due to military spending, but it can lead to overheating in the long run. Even senior economic officials in Russia recognise this. 'We might go fast, but not for long,' Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said in December 2023. The increase in military production has led to the neglect of other economic sectors. Foreign Direct Investment has dropped to insignificance. The fact that Russia has to purchase drones and other kinds of military equipment abroad is another indication of its economic problems.
This statement is a manipulation around the protests of EU farmers and discussions about limiting the exports of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU, aiming to promote the recurring disinformation narrative that attributes aggressive and imperial intentions to Poland.
Russia has stated that if its assets are seized it would retaliate by seizing Western assets in Russian territory, and there could be other economic consequences, but nothing of the scale this disinformation story suggests. By stoking fears of apocalyptic repercussions, this disinformation narrative aims to dissuade audiences from backing this measure.
Although the concern of Polish farmers is real, Poland's farming sector does not face any existential threat from Ukrainian imports. The European Union has repeatedly readjusted the so-called Autonomous Trade Measures to support Ukraine's economy while at the same time reinforce protection for sensitive EU agricultural products.
The claim that the USA and Ukraine are attempting to destroy European agriculture is unfounded.
The claim emerged in relation to the 2024 farmer protests in Poland, which were against EU agricultural policies and the influx of Ukrainian food products into the Polish market. This situation directly results from the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports.
Macron told a news conference after a meeting of European leaders in Paris on 26 February 2024: 'We should not exclude that there might be a need for security that then justifies some elements of deployment. But I've told you very clearly what France maintains as its position, which is a strategic ambiguity that I stand by.'
Macron did not say that it was likely to happen and added that France's attitude to it was ambiguous.