Ukraine warns of Russian propaganda push as Kremlin plans to declare 'victory' over Ukraine and NATO
Russian propagandists have been instructed by the Kremlin to advance narratives about Russia's victory in the war against Ukraine by the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion—February 24, 2025, reports the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
"Moreover, these plans may also include mentioning 'Russia's victory over NATO,' as for a long time, Moscow propaganda has depicted the war against Ukraine as a war with the Alliance," notes the Ukrainian intelligence.
In addition, in their informational and psychological operations, propagandists will leverage narratives about the 'betrayal of Ukraine by the West,' 'backdoor deals between the US and Russia,' 'illegitimacy of Ukrainian authorities,' stating that 'the opinions of Europe and Ukraine do not concern either Moscow or Washington,' 'the Ukrainian army is losing on the front,' and 'corruption in Ukraine is siphoning billions of dollars of American aid.'
Russian intelligence services have also been instructed to actively cover the bilateral meeting between US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia on February 18 and the diplomatic efforts of the US administration under President Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
One of the main tasks for Kremlin propagandists is to shift Russia's status from that of an isolated aggressor and war criminal to a 'constructive party in the conflict' ready for peace talks, according to Ukrainian intelligence. This involves an attack on European countries, which, despite Trump's statements, are not abandoning their support for the Ukrainian people but are instead ramping it up. Russian propaganda will label Ukraine's European allies as 'enemies of peace.'
"The propagandist army and intelligence services of the aggressor state, Russia, under Kremlin directives, are stepping up efforts to incite despondency within Ukrainian society, destabilize the situation within our country, and discredit Ukraine among partner countries that provide critically important military assistance to our defense and security forces in the fight against the occupiers," warns the Ukrainian intelligence.
On February 21, news agency Reuters, citing its own sources, reported that the US and Russia held unofficial meetings in Switzerland to discuss ending the war in Ukraine following Donald Trump's victory in the presidential elections on November 5.
On February 20, Axios, citing unnamed sources in the Ukrainian and American governments, reported that the US is preparing an 'improved' agreement for access to Ukraine's resources in exchange for military aid after President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to sign a previous version.