US Alleges Russia Spreading Disinformation To Present Ukraine As Aggressor - Statement

The US Department of State on Thursday issued two fact sheets alleging that Russia is spreading disinformation to paint Ukraine as the aggressor in the relations between the two countries, but it did not present any specific facts to support its allegations

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2022) The US Department of State on Thursday issued two fact sheets alleging that Russia is spreading disinformation to paint Ukraine as the aggressor in the relations between the two countries, but it did not present any specific facts to support its allegations.

"The Department of State, working with the US interagency, is aware of several Russian military and intelligence entities that are engaged in information confrontation targeting Ukraine. These activities include the spread of disinformation and propaganda attempting to paint Ukraine and Ukrainian government officials as the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine relationship," the first fact sheet said.

The State Department also alleged that Russia has "fabricated a set of false narratives that its disinformation and propaganda ecosystem persistently injects into the global information environment."

The narratives act like a template that enables Moscow to adjust them "with a complete disregard for truth as it shapes the information environment to support its policy goals," it added.

On Wednesday, US State Secretary Antony Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev. The officials discussed the United States' and the international security assistance to Kiev, with Blinken underscoring Washington's commitment to diplomacy alongside its readiness "to impose severe costs for further Russian aggression against Ukraine."

Russia has repeatedly dismissed the United States' allegations that it is preparing to invade Ukraine, pointing instead to the actual threat posed by NATO's military activity in the region. The Kremlin has said Russia has no intention to attack any country and views the accusations against it as a pretext for deploying additional NATO equipment and infrastructure close to Russia's borders.