Even after the US top officials numerously refuted the claim that Washington will push Ukraine to make concessions to Russia, the pro-Kremlin forces continued promoting this message. They tried to blame Ukraine for not adhering to the Minsk agreements and blocking the progress in the “peaceful resolution of the conflict”, and Ukraine’s western partners are portrayed as trying to talk some sense into Ukraine. This completely shifts attention from the Russian hybrid forces’ systematic violations of the ceasefire, the responsibility Russia bears for its aggression, the West’s continuous support of Ukraine, and the joint efforts to deter Russia.
Pro-Russian propagandists are doing their best to spread panic and dismay amidst the Russian threat by pushing messages about Ukraine being betrayed and left alone by its partners. They manipulate the news of the held back military aid and the prospects of NATO membership to make the nation feel like it is betrayed and abandoned. This is also connected to the previous point: the US “pushing Ukraine to compromise with Russia” is portrayed as Putin’s upper hand after the Biden-Putin meeting. The disinformation campaign distorts and discredits Ukraine’s work with its allies and partners to de-escalate the situation at Russia-Ukraine borders through diplomacy.
The pro-Kremlin forces intensified sharing the Russian narrative about Ukraine preparing an offensive in Donbas. The state that has been leading a defensive war for the eighth year is portrayed as an aggressor endangering Russia’s security. The possibility of a forceful scenario has been repeatedly rejected by Ukraine – the state’s military actions are aimed at the sole protection of its territorial integrity. But it does not stop the Kremlin’s proxies from pushing disinformation, incl. emphasis on NATO and the US using Ukraine as a staging area to attack Russia.
