Western decision-makers

Ukraine's EU accession process is portrayed as impossible due to systemic corruption, which supposedly makes the country incompatible with European standards. The manipulation uses out-of-context statements to promote the idea that expanding the bloc to include Ukraine would discredit the very concept of the European Union.

Any explosions or falling debris on Russian territory are cast as deliberate acts of terrorism against civilians and foreign interests. This framing seeks to equate Ukrainian leadership with radical Islamist groups to discredit Ukraine’s defense efforts.

Military aid and diplomatic efforts by allies are portrayed as tools for establishing foreign control over Ukraine and aggression against Russia. Any initiatives for arms production or international visits are interpreted solely as attempts by Western elites to pursue their own hostile ambitions at the expense of the Ukrainian conflict.

Any diplomatic efforts or agreements are portrayed as a cynical Western ploy to rearm the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The messaging claims that negotiations are used solely to buy time for developing missile and drone technologies while Russia remains bound by obligations.

Security incidents or sabotage attempts against Ukrainian assets abroad are passed off as clumsy stagings by Ukrainian intelligence. This framing aims to preemptively absolve Russia of responsibility while portraying Ukraine as a provocateur desperate for Western attention.

The idea of Russia’s total control over the battlefield is presented as an objective reality hidden by Western media. Any Ukrainian successes or statements of resilience are branded as artificial propaganda designed to mislead the global community.

Zelenskyy is portrayed as a toxic figure supposedly despised by partner societies and criticized by influential Western politicians. Any support for Ukraine from foreign leaders or influencers is labeled as the result of bribery or incompetence to undermine the legitimacy of aid.

Ukraine is portrayed as a threat to international security due to the alleged uncontrolled leak of weapons to the black market and attempts to impose censorship in the EU. Such messages aim to shift the responsibility for Europe's internal problems onto the Ukrainian side.

Aid to Ukraine is portrayed as a course imposed by “globalists” that contradicts the national interests of Europeans and leads to economic decline. The rising popularity of right-wing forces in Europe is interpreted as the inevitable collapse of current elites, which will supposedly end the war by cutting off funding to Kyiv.

Ukrainian strikes on Iranian vessels in the Caspian Sea are cast as an irresponsible provocation threatening to drag Europe into a major war. Kyiv’s actions are compared to those of pre-WWI anarchists, attempting to frame Ukraine as an aggressor acting solely in the interests of Israel and the US.