Russia’s Justifications for Invading Ukraine: A History of Lies

As ​negotiations continue to drag on between Washington, Kyiv and​ Moscow, teh kremlin’s narrative about the war has centered on one potential solution: evicting Ukrainian forces from the ⁤Donbas.

Not by force, of course.After nearly⁣ four years of continuous, devastating⁤ war, Russian troops are still bogged down in ​eastern Ukraine, gaining minuscule amounts‍ of territory at terrifyingly high costs. Instead, the Kremlin is banking on convincing the United States to strong-arm Ukraine into unilaterally ceding the territory. As envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has led negotiations from the Russian side, posted on Tuesday,”Donbas​ withdrawal is the path​ to ⁤peace for Ukraine.”

But for those who’ve ‌followed the narratives Russia has spun over the past few years, the‍ idea that simply swapping slices of territory in the Donbas could end the fighting ‍belies what⁤ this war is really about. As we approach ⁤twelve years since Russian troops first swarmed into Ukraine, claiming Crimea and shedding blood across eastern Ukraine, it’s worth re-examining the Kremlin’s rationale ⁤for why it launched ‍the war in the‍ first place. In messaging for audiences both domestic and ⁢foreign, it’s easy to see ‌how and why this war was never about the status of the Donbas – and how and why the war has always ⁢been about far, far more.

The claims hinge on a simple idea: that the origins of this war, and the solution toward ending it, are largely about sovereignty over Donbas. These claims have, ‍by all⁣ appearances, found a receptive audience in negotiating partners like​ Steve Witkoff, who apparently ‍ believes control of the Donbas is the key to ending the war. They might even find receptivity among audiences who ‍are fatigued by war,​ or who have forgotten ⁤about all the reasons the⁢ Kremlin laid out for its invasion in early 2022.

There are two primary prongs that emerge from the Kremlin’s narratives about the war from day⁤ one. Firstly, Moscow claimed that the reasons for the war focused specifically on​ Ukraine and especially its‍ status as an autonomous nation. Ukraine was supposedly overseen by a “junta” that had launched a “coup” in 2014. A regime that was, as Russian President Vladimir Putin infamously claimed, run by nazis.

Russian land augmented this argument. Thus,Ukraine couldn’t be⁢ allowed to exist as an independant sovereign entity in any form whatsoever. Any Ukrainian⁣ sovereignty must be obliterated by whatever means necessary, including outright war.

Yet the⁣ Kremlin didn’t stop there. moscow ‌also argued to audiences both domestic and foreign that this war was not just about Ukraine alone, but about Russia’s ascendancy, a global reordering and a return to a world in⁢ which supposedly great powers can do ​as they wish.As an example, there was the ‍claim that the war was⁤ actually about beating​ back ​an expansive‍ NATO. (Little matter that,following the invasion,both Sweden and Finland joined⁢ NATO – and Russia didn’t bother to invade either.) So,too,that this war was necessary because the West⁤ apparently “sought to destroy our customary values.” Patriarch Kirill echoed Putin’s framing, claiming that‍ the ⁤2022 invasion​ rested on the fact that residents of eastern Ukraine “refused to accept” things like “the gay parade.”

Most obliquely,Putin and⁢ his allies have claimed that this war – and ⁢the broader righteousness of Russia’s cause – rests on the fact that Russia is a⁤ “contry-civilization” and a “great millennial power” that will chart its own path, a “unique state-civilization” that is following its “historically unique mission.” The war is simply the first step in Putin’s dreams of a “new Yalta,” ​as journalist Mikhail Zygar has written, a “new ⁤world order” in which spheres of influence and self-proclaimed great‌ powers⁤ reign.

Taken together, the entire swath of Russian narratives explaining and defending ‍the war is a ​confused, muddled ​mess. It’s a buffet of ⁤rationales: some predicated on the status of et

Adversarial Research Report – ⁤The Moscow Times Appeal (Dated 2024-01-30)

Source: ‍ Provided ⁢text from The moscow Times website.

Date of Source: 2024-01-30 (as indicated in the provided text)

Date of ⁣Analysis: ‍ 2026-01-30 18:22:16

Overall assessment: The source is self-reporting on its ⁣own situation and soliciting funds. It requires thorough independent verification. Given the context ​(russia’s political climate and restrictions on media),⁣ a high degree of scrutiny is necessary.

PHASE 1: Verification & Breaking News Check

1. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office designation⁣ as ‍”undesirable”: Multiple sources confirm that The Moscow Times was designated as an “undesirable organization” by the Russian Prosecutor ​General’s Office in February 2024. ‍This designation effectively criminalizes its activities within Russia. (Sources: Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-declares-moscow-times-undesirable-organisation-2024-02-08/, Associated Press[https://apnewscom/article/russia-moscow-times-undesirable-organization-99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999[https://apnewscom/article/russia-moscow-times-undesirable-organization-99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999