This Writer did not expect to have to write this article, but it seems some of you would benefit from a crash course on Ukraine: the myths that won’t die — and why they’re wrong.
Over the past few days, in response to an article defending the basic principle that national borders should not be redrawn by force, some readers have flooded social media with misleading claims about the causes of the war in Ukraine.
It’s time to sort fact from fiction.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £2 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Myth 1: The US staged a coup in Ukraine in 2014
The 2014 Maidan Revolution was a popular uprising against then-president Viktor Yanukovych, who abandoned closer ties to Europe in favour of Russia.
While US diplomats like Victoria Nuland did support the protests diplomatically, there was no US military action or coup. Yanukovych fled after ordering violence against protestors.
Ukraine’s parliament — including many of Yanukovych’s own party — voted overwhelmingly to remove him.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Myth 2: Russia is stopping a “genocide” in Donbas
Multiple independent observers, including the United Nations and OSCE, have found no evidence of genocide against Russian-speakers in Ukraine.
There were tensions and discrimination, yes — but calling it genocide is grossly misleading and has been condemned internationally.
Myth 3: Ukraine is a Nazi state
While far-right militias like the Azov Battalion do exist, they are a tiny minority. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish.
In elections, far-right parties have performed terribly — winning less than two per cent of the vote.
Labelling all of Ukraine as “Nazi” is Russian wartime propaganda.
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Myth 4: NATO promised it wouldn’t expand
There was no treaty barring NATO expansion.
Some verbal comments were made during German reunification talks in 1990 about not expanding into East Germany — but no promises were made about Eastern Europe generally.
Former Soviet states like Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania chose to join NATO later, of their own free will.
(I’ll confess that this surprised me, as I had believed that then-US President Bill Clinton had said in the 1990s that there would be no effort to put NATO bases on the Russian border.)
Myth 5: Ukraine’s government Is controlled by BlackRock, Monsanto, and Wall Street
Western companies like BlackRock are advising Ukraine on post-war reconstruction, which understandably worries people.
However, Ukraine is still governed by Ukrainians.
The narrative of total “corporate control” is a wildly exaggerated conspiracy theory.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £2 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Conclusion:
When wars happen, so does a flood of disinformation.
But no amount of myth-making changes the fundamental truth:
Russia invaded Ukraine, illegally and brutally.
Ukraine has the right to defend its borders.
Supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty is not the same as endorsing every policy of its government.
Don’t fall for easy narratives. Check the facts.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
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Cruel Britannia is available
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The Livingstone Presumption is available
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The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Ukraine: the myths that won’t die — and why they’re wrong
This Writer did not expect to have to write this article, but it seems some of you would benefit from a crash course on Ukraine: the myths that won’t die — and why they’re wrong.
Over the past few days, in response to an article defending the basic principle that national borders should not be redrawn by force, some readers have flooded social media with misleading claims about the causes of the war in Ukraine.
It’s time to sort fact from fiction.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £2 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Myth 1: The US staged a coup in Ukraine in 2014
The 2014 Maidan Revolution was a popular uprising against then-president Viktor Yanukovych, who abandoned closer ties to Europe in favour of Russia.
While US diplomats like Victoria Nuland did support the protests diplomatically, there was no US military action or coup. Yanukovych fled after ordering violence against protestors.
Ukraine’s parliament — including many of Yanukovych’s own party — voted overwhelmingly to remove him.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Myth 2: Russia is stopping a “genocide” in Donbas
Multiple independent observers, including the United Nations and OSCE, have found no evidence of genocide against Russian-speakers in Ukraine.
There were tensions and discrimination, yes — but calling it genocide is grossly misleading and has been condemned internationally.
Myth 3: Ukraine is a Nazi state
While far-right militias like the Azov Battalion do exist, they are a tiny minority. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish.
In elections, far-right parties have performed terribly — winning less than two per cent of the vote.
Labelling all of Ukraine as “Nazi” is Russian wartime propaganda.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Myth 4: NATO promised it wouldn’t expand
There was no treaty barring NATO expansion.
Some verbal comments were made during German reunification talks in 1990 about not expanding into East Germany — but no promises were made about Eastern Europe generally.
Former Soviet states like Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania chose to join NATO later, of their own free will.
(I’ll confess that this surprised me, as I had believed that then-US President Bill Clinton had said in the 1990s that there would be no effort to put NATO bases on the Russian border.)
Myth 5: Ukraine’s government Is controlled by BlackRock, Monsanto, and Wall Street
Western companies like BlackRock are advising Ukraine on post-war reconstruction, which understandably worries people.
However, Ukraine is still governed by Ukrainians.
The narrative of total “corporate control” is a wildly exaggerated conspiracy theory.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £2 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Conclusion:
When wars happen, so does a flood of disinformation.
But no amount of myth-making changes the fundamental truth:
Russia invaded Ukraine, illegally and brutally.
Ukraine has the right to defend its borders.
Supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty is not the same as endorsing every policy of its government.
Don’t fall for easy narratives. Check the facts.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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