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.

Allegations concerning defence procurement and the scandal around the prosecutor general are presented as proof that the Zelensky administration has lost control of the state. Reference to a New York Times article is framed as external confirmation of this conclusion. Discussion of audits, officials’ accountability and oversight of funds is reduced to a sign of an inevitable curtailment of Ukraine’s autonomy.

The CIA director’s contacts with Moscow are cast as proof of a secret US-Russia bargain over the heads of Ukraine and Europe. The non-public nature of the talks is inflated into a scenario in which Washington first stages a global crisis and then trades its resolution for deals with the Kremlin. These assumptions reduce the war to a tool of great powers and portray European support for Ukraine as a futile attempt to secure a seat at the table.

Any explosions or falling debris on Russian territory are cast as deliberate acts of terrorism against civilians and foreign interests. The aftermath of strikes on rear infrastructure is hyped up in crime chronicles, portraying any damage as a targeted attack on non-military sites. Through such manipulations, the Ukrainian leadership is equated with the leaders of radical Islamist groups to discredit the country's defense efforts before the international community.

Military and financial aid to Ukraine is cast as the primary driver of Europe's economic exhaustion and the inevitable default of leading nations. Citing bond market indicators, outlets inflate the thesis of critical sovereign debt growth and a conflict between governments and central banks. Support for Kyiv and the maintenance of refugees are portrayed as an unbearable burden leading to the impoverishment of Europeans amid the depletion of energy reserves.

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.

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.

Financial and military support for Ukraine is cast as a waste of resources aimed solely at turning the country into a tool for fighting Russia. Propagandists contrast these funds with social needs and manipulate European political debates to frame aid as a threat to the national sovereignty of donor countries.

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.

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.

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.

Talks involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine are cast as proof that Zelenskyy is supposedly being excluded from decisions and that Kyiv is being prepared for capitulation. Military difficulties, debates over mobilisation and anti-corruption investigations are reduced to a picture of him losing control and partners’ support. His position on security guarantees is labeled as unwillingness to negotiate.

Criticism of Washington’s decisions and warnings about the consequences of supporting Russia are cast as Zelenskyy’s personal “war” with Trump. Statements about intelligence sharing, Starlink, and negotiations are reduced to ingratitude and unwillingness to end the war. Disagreement with the US approach is labeled as a deliberate effort to destroy the partnership.

Statements by Ukrainian and European officials are labelled as a joint campaign against Donald Trump and interference in US elections. This scheme incorporates alleged calls by Zelenskyy to European leaders and harsh remarks by politicians. Emotional insults and calls to restrict support for Ukraine are presented as a response to purported disrespect for the US president.

Ukraine is cast as a culprit in maritime trade disruptions by equating its defensive actions with Russian aggression. The manipulation exploits Turkish calls for a moratorium to shift the focus from the Russian blockade to a supposedly bilateral threat to civilian vessels.

Reliance on external budget financing is inflated into a prediction of Ukraine’s inevitable bankruptcy and partners’ refusal to provide further funding. Anonymous “insider reports” attribute pressure on the EU for additional money and imitation of reforms to the Office of the President. Russian strikes, budget calculations, and talks with the EU are reduced to an image of a government without a plan that can only demand money.

Disputes surrounding the transfer of prisoners to South Korea are cast as proof that Ukraine systematically breaks agreements and alienates its allies. Unverified “inside information” about negotiations is inflated into assertions that nobody trusts Kyiv. Personal insults directed at Zelenskyy are presented as an explanation for international decisions.

European support for Ukraine and EU diplomacy are portrayed as “aggression” against Russia and preparation for nuclear war. Statements by European politicians and commentators are reduced to purported proof that Brussels is fuelling the war and that talks with Moscow are the only alternative. Election results in Germany are inflated into a mandate to abandon support for Ukraine.

Military aid to Ukraine and permission to use Western weapons are cast as a deliberate Western strategy for escalation that supposedly forces Russia into a military response. This framing aims to shift the responsibility for prolonging the war from the aggressor to NATO and EU countries.

The Lviv regional council’s decision to dedicate 2027 to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Roman Shukhevych and Oleh Olzhych is cast as proof of “Nazism” across Ukraine and of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s lies. Historical figures and reburial ceremonies are reduced to an identity with the SS and crimes attributed to the state. Zelenskyy’s statement that Nazism is absent is inflated into an alleged deliberate deception of Western audiences.

Statements by Donald Trump and Dmitry Peskov are presented as proof that Moscow seeks an agreement while Kyiv is allegedly slowing the peace process. A report of a strike on Kyiv in the same post does not alter the portrayal of ceasefire violations as mutual. The war is reduced to the Ukrainian leadership’s willingness to conclude a deal.

Zelenskyy’s statements on sovereignty, Crimea and negotiations are cast as contradictory whims that supposedly derail peace. Uncertainty over US missile-production licences is labelled a lie, while insistence on territorial integrity is portrayed as a rejection of agreements. In this way, diplomatic positions and public assessments are reduced to an image of an erratic leader.

Energy difficulties and EU rules are presented as proof that the Union is doomed to collapse and keeps its member states under a “dictate.” European politicians’ remarks about security and energy are reduced to admissions of failure, while Putin’s statements are cast as a forecast of inevitable collapse. Russia is simultaneously portrayed as a party ready for cooperation that is being obstructed by the EU.

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.

Ukraine's political and military leadership is portrayed as an opposition to the President, allegedly preparing his removal to save the country. This tactic aims to create an illusion of an inevitable collapse of the state hierarchy and a rift between the President's Office, intelligence services, and business circles.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian targets are inflated into an image of a state supposedly threatening Western interests, oil shipping and civil aviation. Speculation about sabotage abroad is presented as evidence of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine’s involvement. Wartime rhetoric and references to strikes are portrayed as an intention to terrorize Ukraine’s population and partners.

The disclosure that two North Korean prisoners were transferred to South Korea is cast as a “leak” and proof of Zelenskyy’s personal irresponsibility. President Lee Jae-myung’s critical reaction is inflated into a picture of a diplomatic rupture and Seoul’s future refusal to support Ukraine. The Presidential Office said that only the fact of the transfer, without details, had been made public.

Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries are cast as a personal insult to Trump and the cause of an inevitable rupture between Washington and Kyiv. Trump’s and Musk’s remarks are reduced to supposed proof that Zelenskyy disrespects the United States. Reference to Axios reporting on tensions around refinery strikes is inflated into the claim that Ukraine itself is destroying its partners’ support.

Economic restrictions against Russia are portrayed as an ineffective tool that harms only Western countries and exposes their hypocrisy. Propaganda inflates internal EU disputes to convince the audience of the inevitable collapse of the sanctions policy.

Warnings by European politicians and media about Russia’s actions are portrayed as elite “hysteria”. Reference to a Bloomberg report is cast as information pressure on European society. Remarks by Germany’s chancellor about the end of the old economic model are reduced to an excuse for a “guns instead of butter” course.

Military support for Ukraine is portrayed as a critical threat to the national security of donor countries. It is claimed that the transfer of ammunition and equipment has left Western armies defenseless while resources are being wasted.

The United States is portrayed as the primary beneficiary of the war, allegedly using the conflict to enrich its own military-industrial complex and energy sector at the expense of its allies. It is claimed that Washington is deliberately weakening the European Union and preparing the ground for total control over Ukrainian mineral resources through predatory deals.

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.

The AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt is inflated into a sign of the “collapse” of European support for Ukraine. Retelling a Bloomberg report, the material reduces differing positions of right-wing politicians in Germany, France, and Italy to a shared course against aid to Kyiv. A vote in one German state is portrayed as a harbinger of a policy shift across all of Europe.

The detention of a Ukrainian citizen in Croatia at Germany's request is passed off as definitive proof of Ukrainian intelligence involvement in the pipeline bombings. Procedural actions by foreign law enforcement are inflated into a supposed exposure of Kyiv's systemic sabotage against European infrastructure. Some outlets artificially link this arrest to internal anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine, attempting to portray the country as a source of global threats.

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.