For a state with no expansionist designs on Ukraine, Russia has been active in illegally occupying it over the past decade. In February 2014, Russia invaded and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. In autumn 2022, it used sham referenda in an attempt to annex the above-mentioned oblasts, as well as the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson.
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.
The 2020 National Security Strategy of Poland states that the most serious security threat for the country is the neo-imperial policy of the authorities of the Russian Federation, pursued by means of military force (aggression against Georgia, illegal annexation of Crimea and military actions in Eastern Ukraine).
Ukrainian and Russian are two distinct people, despite multiple attempts of the Kremlin to deny it. Ukraine is a well-defined nation-state with a long history and its literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. Ukrainians and Russians belong to the Slavs ethnolinguistic group, but they are not a single nation. The "all-Russian big nation" is an imperial Russian and Russian revanchist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Ukrainians, as well as undermining the state sovereignty.
There is no evidence that Ukraine has used chemical weapons during the war started by Russia. Instead, this is an attempt to deflect responsibility away from Russia's actions, with many Western leaders having real concerns that Russia could use chemical weapons.
Ukraine is a part of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Ukraine strictly adheres to its international obligations on the non-use and non-proliferation of chemical weapons - this fact has been repeatedly confirmed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), operating under the auspices of the UN.
The 'Arbitration Court of Crimea' is a fictitious body; its decision is not recognised by any democratic country. This illegitimate court employs judges accused in Ukraine of high treason - they betrayed the oath of allegiance to the people of Ukraine and began working for the occupier.
Back in December 2023, Russian authorities announced their intention to organise 'voting' in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine: the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasised that Russia, with its 'elections' not only grossly violates the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine, but also neglects all the norms and principles of international law, in particular the UN Charter.
An extract from FRANCE 24's sister French-language fact-checking show that's circulating on social media appears to support the claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has misappropriated funds to buy himself luxury yachts - an unfounded accusation that has repeatedly resurfaced. But the video has been edited: the journalist in it was in fact debunking, not affirming, the allegation.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu did not call for genocide or a military operation. On the contrary, she is seeking stabilisation and a peaceful resolution of the Transnistrian conflict.
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.