The disinformation is based on a video message from the Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, published on February 26, 2024. Budanov recalled that Russia's war against Ukraine began not in 2022, but ten years ago - with a carefully planned Russian military operation to seize Ukrainian Crimea.
The EU, the US and their partners from G7 have been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. They have been trying to strike common ground and find a common language with the Russian Federation. In 1997, Russia and NATO signed the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security, which said that 'NATO and Russia do not consider each other as adversaries.'
Sevastopol is an Ukrainian city, as well as Luhansk and Donetsk, temporarily occupied by Russia.
No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine", stating that the referendum in Crimea was NOT valid and declaring its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.
The EU does not impose any action or program on the partner countries. The overall aim of cooperation is to build a common area of shared democracy, prosperity, and stability in line with each individual country's aspirations.
The claim that the Belarusian opposition is planning to change the country's borders is baseless. After the violent crackdown of the 2020 protests by Lukashenka, tens of thousands of Belarusians moved to Poland in order to avoid repressions. The claim that Belarusian opposition groups and associations operating in Poland are planning a military attack on Belarus is unfounded.
Russia's responsibility for the global food crisis comes as a consequence of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine: naval blockade of Ukrainian posts, bombardment of transport infrastructure and shelling of farming regions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destabilised global food markets and is driving food prices up due to increased cost of production, transport and freight insurance. Russia has destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine.
In 2014, there was neither a coup nor a protest orchestrated by Western countries in Ukraine. The demonstrations which began in Kyiv in November 2013 - called "Maidan", or "Euromaidan" - were a result of the Ukrainian people's frustration with the former President Yanukovych.
Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine and was earlier the largest city of the medieval state of Kyivan Rus' also named Ruthenia. The heritage of the Kyivan Rus' is claimed by the Kremlin for political reasons but the history of the Russian state is different and more complex than the official narrative.
Die Zeit provided perspective on the $5 billion spent by USAID (not NATO) on democracy development over 23 years, clarifying that these funds did not support the EuroMaidan movement.
As this database consistently emphasises, contrary to claims by the Kremlin, there was no coup in Ukraine in 2014. Moreover, the United States did not play any role in the events that unfolded
The sanctions on Russia, introduced by the US and the EU, do not violate international law or any regulations as they are an entirely legitimate mechanism. Sanctions are a key tool of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy.