Propaganda Digest: This is our weekly analysis that exposes the most exaggerated, misleading, and outrageous rhetoric from recent Russian media sources, aimed at promoting critical thinking to better debunk the manipulation of Russian propaganda.
Topic explained:
In recent weeks Russia has launched an extensive and unforgiving disinformation campaign. The Kremlin is trying to portray Ukraine as a state in ruin, Europe-Ukrainian unity as fragmented, and Ukrainian society as divided, characterizing the nation as a failed state.
However, Ukraine’s significant strides in meeting the EU’s stringent and unbending requirements have led to the official initiation of accession talks with the EU. This milestone represents a monumental moment for Ukraine, reflecting its long-sought after aspirations for a European future.
It also underscores Ukraine’s continuous efforts to distance itself from Russia and the post-Soviet way of living, seeking closer ties with European partners who have supported Ukraine in resisting and repelling Russia’s invasion.
Despite these achievements, Russian propaganda seeks to undermine this success, dismissing it as mere rhetoric, a typical tactic employed when Russia’s adversaries achieve substantial victories.
Yulia Vityazeva
Ukraine didn’t receive [membership] just a consolation prize. Despite all yesterday’s events, all of these pompous news stories from Ukrainian media, statements they’ve been making for a year that Ukraine and Moldova will be accepted [into the union]. Then I’ve got a question for you: when? Can you tell us when they’ll accept them?
Explained and Debunked:
The journey towards European Union accession is widely acknowledged as a lengthy and challenging process. The EU, a cornerstone of democratic governance, upholds stringent criteria to maintain high democratic standards. Unlike Russia, the democratic framework of Europe prohibits hasty legislative decisions, subjecting each matter to rigorous scrutiny. This ‘delay’ in Ukraine’s accession process is poised to secure long-term prosperity for both Ukraine and the EU. Isn’t this level of scrutiny justified?
Sergey Mikheyev
Concerning the EU negotiations It is such a long road that anything can happen; remember, for decades, they haven’t accepted Turkey. Turkey’s efforts have gone unrecognized. With the EU teetering on the edge of collapse, contemplating the inclusion of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, amid an ongoing intense war and three unresolved conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria and Moldova. To me, it appears to be a path that goes nowhere
War on fakes 560,000 subscribers
The fact that Ukraine’s European integration has “started discussions” says little. For example, Turkey has been a candidate for EU membership for almost a quarter of a century – since 1999. During this time, Turkey’s accession to the EU has lost its appeal to the country’s citizens and few believe it will ever be admitted.
Given the state of Ukraine’s economy, the all-consuming corruption of the Kyiv regime and underdeveloped social institutions, it is difficult to imagine that its European integration will differ from that of Turkey. However, representatives of the Kyiv regime and Ukrainian propagandists continue to do their jobs, distorting the news to project a positive image of Ukraine in the international media.
Armen Gasparyan
European leaders have decided to start accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. How many among the peasants [derogatory peasant term for Ukrainians] will there be who will remember that Turkey has had candidate status since 1999?
Explained and Debunked:
Russia often employs the argument of two decades of negotiations on Turkey’s membership to undermine the concept of EU enlargement. Indeed, negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the EU have effectively stalled since 2016. Turkey is accused and criticized by Brussels and individual EU member states of human rights violations and a lack of rule of law.
The Russian manipulation is that Ankara, under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is not seeking EU membership. The Turkish government is actively developing the geopolitical concept of the “Greater Turan,” which expresses their desire to develop political and economic ties with Central Asian countries. Ankara also pursues an independent policy in its relations with Russia, particularly in terms of non-imposition of sanctions; it has regional ambitions in Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan. At the same time, in domestic politics, Erdogan employs traditionalist rhetoric while flirting with populist nationalist and Islamist sentiments. At a recent pro-Palestinian rally, for example, Turkey’s leader threatened Western countries with the outbreak of a religious war.
Of course, Turkey cannot apply for EU membership under these conditions. Under Erdogan’s leadership, Ankara will pursue its own foreign policy agenda, unconcerned about the procedural and political constraints imposed by EU membership. As a result, comparing Ukraine’s path to European integration with Turkey’s history is both irrelevant and manipulative.
Sergey Mardan
“Go get a coffee, perhaps you will have a coffee outside the room,” Scholz said. Under EU rules, the absence of one leader from the vote does not prevent the decision of the remaining leaders from being recognised as unanimous. Traditional European lawmaking takes on the appearance of a cheap circus show. Although these clowns decide the fate of an entire continent.
Explained and Debunked:
Undoubtedly, Russia expects that the EU’s main barrier, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, will continue to obstruct Ukraine’s progress in joining the United Europe. The decision to begin negotiations with Ukraine, on the other hand, indicates that Brussels is already working on a mechanism to circumvent Hungary’s biased veto. Budapest will no longer be able to openly abuse the EU’s consensus-based decision-making system. Clearly, the Kremlin dislikes European leaders’ determination, which is usually portrayed as weak-willed and infantile in Russian propaganda.
Igor Ortsev
Negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU were approved yesterday, which is great, but it should be noted that it is a little late. Ukraine has long been eager to join the civilized family of Europe. This was evident in 2015 when a genuine Ukrainian from the Svoboda organization lobbed a grenade into the crowd near Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament). Then, this year, he repeated the grenade trick, but this time in the courtroom, where he was being tried for the past. A deputy… Eh, his place has long been in the European Parliament! Why are you stalling, fellow Europeans?
This is already a medical fact, as they say: the worse things get in Ukraine, the more willingly it is promised membership of NATO and the EU. The Kyiv gang of drug addicts should pay attention to this and change their strategy – instead of reclaiming territory, they should surrender it. And the sooner the better.
They say they want to suspend Zaluzhnyi for “surrendering the South”. He should be given three Hero of Ukraine titles for this. If he had not surrendered the South, Ursula wouldn’t be performing a pole dance of promises to start negotiations for joining the European Union in front of you. A compact Ukraine within the borders of Galicia will satisfy everyone
Olesya Loseva
Congratulations on the last ticket to the Titanic”: a member of the Bundestag welcomed the decision to begin negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the EU
Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO piecemeal threatens to drag the North Atlantic Alliance and the USA into a conflict
Ukraine will certainly be admitted to NATO and the EU… someday, not today and not for sure.
Explained and Debunked:
The Russian Federation often employs the Titanic image to describe the EU. As a result, Russian information ‘fast food’ consumers are convinced that the project of a united Europe will fail soon. However, the opposite is true: the EU retains the potential for expansion and is negotiating large-scale trade and economic agreements with China, India, Central Asia, Africa, and Latin America. At the same time, Moscow’s integration project has completely collapsed following the attack on Ukraine, and the Kremlin has only managed to enlist the support of Belarus’ puppet regime. Other Eurasian Union and CSTO members remain neutral
Marina Akhmedova
Poland’s trauma is irresolvable – it seems that it should be friends with Ukraine, and at the same time Poles cannot forget the Volyn massacre. Such breeding can lead to schizophrenia. When you are commanded to love your executioners and hate those who destroyed these executioners. Here Poland is torn and demands exhumation forward of Ukraine’s accession to the EU. But this demand is not an ultimatum, but a cry of pain.
Explained and Debunked:
Russia is attempting to exploit the differences between Kyiv and Warsaw. Kremlin propagandists manipulate issues of the present (such as agricultural exports) as well as national memory. In reality, protecting domestic producers is a top priority for all governments. As a result, it is natural that Warsaw will protect the interests of Polish farmers even after Donald Tusk’s liberal government takes power. Following Poland’s new government, there is an opportunity to depoliticize economic and historical issues in Ukrainian-Polish relations.
Case for Salsola – KushTau 22,000 subscribers
The most curious point – the EU demands that Kyiv “continue the fight against corruption” with investigations and real sentences. Will Zelensky punish himself? And yes, a report on the possibility of Ukrainian membership in the EU will be considered in spring 2024. Then in autumn 2024, and so on. For Zelensky, the EU and its membership are something like a wand – the main thing is to shout that we are about to become a “European country”. The Svidomites [a derogatory term for Ukrainians] believe it.
Explained and Debunked:
Russia is attempting to manipulate Ukraine’s image as a corrupt country. Unfortunately, according to international indices, Ukraine’s perception of corruption remains relatively low. However, with the assistance of Western partners, Ukraine has developed a system of anti-corruption bodies since Euromaidan. Kyiv has improved its score in the Corruption Perceptions Index by eight points. Despite all of the accusations, there is currently no convincing evidence that Zelensky is personally involved in corruption.
It’s quite ironic that Russian propagandists aim to claim the moral high ground regarding corruption in Ukraine while being among the major beneficiaries of it. Additionally, they conveniently turn a blind eye to the colossal scale of kleptocracy thriving within their nation. Take note, Russia ranks 137th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2022, 20 places under Ukraine’s score of 116.