RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION ON UKRAINE

Russian military and intelligence entities are engaged in information confrontation targeting Ukraine.  These activities include the spread of disinformation and propaganda attempting to paint Ukraine and Ukrainian government officials as the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine relationship.  Such measures are intended to influence Western countries into believing Ukraine’s behavior could provoke a global conflict and convince Russian citizens of the need for Russian military action in Ukraine.

Examples

1. Ukraine and Ukrainian government officials are the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine relationship. It seems [the Ukrainians] are preparing another operation [in Donbas] and are warning us not to get in the way, or there’ll be sanctions
2. The West is pushing Ukraine toward a conflict. We have to be mindful of our own security, not just for today and not just for next week, but in the short term.  How is Russia to live with all this?  Do we always have to stay on guard, watching what happens there and when a strike might come?  But what does it all mean if we end up in the conflict you are asking about?  This is not our choice, and we do not want this
3. Russia’s deployment of combat forces is a mere repositioning of troops on its own territory. We will decide for ourselves solely what to do on our territory
4. The United States has planned chemical weapons attacks in the Donbas. We have identified the presence of over 120 members of U.S. mercenary groups in the cities of Avdiivka and Krasny Liman to commit provocations…Tanks filled with unidentified chemical components were delivered to the cities of Avdeevka and Krasny Liman to commit provocations.
5. Russia is defending ethnic Russians in Ukraine. We see and know what is happening in Donbas.  It certainly looks like genocide
6. NATO has plotted against Russia since the end of the Cold War, encircled Russia with forces, broken supposed promises not to enlarge, and threatened Russia’s security with the prospect of Ukrainian membership in the Alliance . All this is happening against the background of active military ‘expansion’ on the territory of Ukraine by NATO countries creating a direct threat to the security of Russia.”
7. The West shuns diplomacy and goes straight to measures like sanctions. [Future U.S. sanctions] would be a mistake that our ancestors would see as a grave error. A lot of mistakes have been made over the past 30 years, and we would better avoid more such mistakes in this situation.