PRESIDENT PUTIN'S FICTION: 10 FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT UKRAINE
FACT SHEET
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
Washington, DC
March 5, 2014
As Russia spins a false narrative to
justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since
Dostoyevsky wrote,
“The formula ‘two times two equals five’ is not without its
attractions.”
Below are 10 of President Vladimir Putin’s recent claims
justifying Russian aggression in the Ukraine, followed by the facts that his
assertions ignore or distort.
1. Mr. Putin says: Russian forces in Crimea are only acting to
protect Russian military assets.
It is “citizens’ defense groups,” not Russian
forces, who have seized infrastructure and military facilities in Crimea.
The Facts: Strong evidence suggests that members of
Russian security services are at the heart of the highly organized anti-Ukraine [?] forces in Crimea.
While these units wear uniforms without insignia, they drive
vehicles with Russian military license plates and freely identify themselves as
Russian security forces when asked by the international media and the Ukrainian
military. Moreover, these individuals are armed with weapons not generally
available to civilians.
2. Mr. Putin says: Russia’s actions fall within the scope of the
1997 Friendship Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
The Facts: The 1997 agreement requires Russia to respect
Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, which
have given them operational control of Crimea, are in clear violation of
Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
3. Mr. Putin says: The opposition failed to implement the
February 21 agreement with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
The Facts: The February 21 agreement laid out a plan
in which the Rada, or Parliament, would pass a bill to return Ukraine to its
2004 Constitution, thus returning the country to a constitutional system
centered around its parliament.
Under the terms of the agreement, Yanukovych
was to sign the enacting legislation within 24 hours and bring the crisis to a
peaceful conclusion.
Yanukovych refused to keep his end of the bargain.
Instead, he packed up his home and fled, leaving behind evidence of wide-scale
corruption.
4. Mr. Putin says: Ukraine’s government is illegitimate.
Yanukovych is still the legitimate leader of Ukraine.
The Facts: On March 4, President Putin himself
acknowledged the reality that Yanukovych “has no political future.”
After
Yanukovych fled Ukraine, even his own Party of Regions turned against him,
voting to confirm his withdrawal from office and to support the new government.
Ukraine’s new government was approved by the democratically elected Ukrainian
Parliament, with 371 votes – more than an 82% majority.
The interim [?] government
of Ukraine is a government of the people, which will shepherd [?] the country
toward democratic elections on May 25th – elections that will allow all
Ukrainians to have a voice in the future of their country.
5. Mr. Putin says: There is a humanitarian crisis and hundreds of
thousands are fleeing Ukraine to Russia and seeking asylum.
The Facts: To date, there is absolutely no evidence of a
humanitarian crisis.
Nor is there evidence of a flood of asylum-seekers fleeing
Ukraine for Russia.
International organizations on the ground have investigated
by talking with Ukrainian border guards, who also refuted these claims.
Independent journalists observing the border have also reported no such flood
of refugees.
6. Mr. Putin says: Ethnic Russians are under threat.
The Facts: Outside of Russian press and Russian state
television, there are no credible reports of any ethnic Russians being under
threat.
The new Ukrainian government placed a priority on peace and
reconciliation from the outset.
President Oleksandr Turchynov refused to sign
legislation limiting the use of the Russian language at regional level.
Ethnic
Russians and Russian speakers have filed petitions attesting that their
communities have not experienced threats.
Furthermore, since the new government
was established, calm has returned to Kyiv.
There has been no surge in crime, no
looting, and no retribution against political opponents.
7. Mr. Putin says: Russian bases are under threat.
The Facts: Russian military facilities were and remain
secure, and the new Ukrainian government has pledged to abide by all existing
international agreements, including those covering Russian bases.
It is
Ukrainian bases in Crimea that are under threat from Russian military action.
8. Mr. Putin says: There have been mass attacks on churches and
synagogues in southern and eastern Ukraine.
The Facts: Religious leaders in the country and
international religious freedom advocates active in Ukraine have said there
have been no incidents of attacks on churches. All of Ukraine’s church leaders,
including representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate,
have expressed support for the new political leadership, calling for national
unity and a period of healing. Jewish groups in southern and eastern Ukraine
report that they have not seen an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
9. Mr. Putin says: Kyiv is trying to destabilize Crimea.
The Facts: Ukraine’s interim government has acted with
restraint and sought dialogue.
Russian troops, on the other hand, have moved
beyond their bases to seize political objectives and infrastructure in Crimea.
The government in Kyiv immediately sent the former Chief of Defense to defuse
the situation. Petro Poroshenko, the latest government emissary to pursue
dialogue in Crimea, was prevented from entering the Crimean Rada.
10. Mr. Putin says: The Rada is under the influence of extremists
or terrorists.
The Facts: The Rada is the most representative
institution in Ukraine.
Recent legislation has passed with large majorities,
including from representatives of eastern Ukraine.
Far-right wing ultranationalist
groups, some of which were involved in open clashes with security forces during
the EuroMaidan protests, are not represented in the Rada.
There is no
indication that the Ukrainian government would pursue discriminatory policies;
on the contrary, they have publicly stated exactly the opposite.
