Claim: Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal claimed that Ukraine is the “central point around which the new geometry of Europe is being built,” and the Russian TV article presents this as propaganda to suggest Ukraine is overreaching in its importance to the European Union.
Verdict: Misleading Framing and Strategic Propaganda
The Russian TV article distorts the original intent of Shmyhal’s remarks by selectively quoting and embedding them within a narrative aimed at discrediting Ukraine’s integration into Europe. It leverages several classic propaganda tactics: minimization, selective context, juxtaposition with unrelated geopolitical topics, and undermining Ukraine’s legitimacy as a modern European state.
Misleading and Propaganda Elements
Strategic Framing
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The Russian article subtly mocks Ukraine’s claim of being “central” to Europe’s future by contrasting it with ongoing war and instability.
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This framing attempts to create cognitive dissonance: how can a war-torn country “build Europe”?
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Propaganda Technique: Ridicule and Doubt — This tactic questions the legitimacy of Ukraine’s self-definition as a European partner and paints its aspirations as unrealistic or delusional.
Omission of Broader EU Support
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The article fails to mention the EU’s long-standing support for Ukraine’s reforms and candidacy status.
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It also omits ongoing economic, energy, and security cooperation that supports Shmyhal’s claims about Ukraine’s growing strategic importance.
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Fact: Multiple EU leaders have echoed sentiments about Ukraine being key to a new European security and energy order, especially in the post-Russia gas era.
Confuse Narrative
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The article abruptly references Donald Trump’s global tariff war, falsely implying Shmyhal commented on it recently.
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This misrepresents Shmyhal’s Brussels speech, which actually focused on supply chain resilience and strategic investment in Ukraine.
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Propaganda Technique: Distraction and Misattribution — By inserting unrelated global topics, the article muddies the narrative and weakens the reader’s focus on Ukraine’s EU integration.
Misleading
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The quote from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov that Russia “would not object” to Ukraine’s EU membership is misleading.
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While Peskov’s statement appears neutral, Russia has repeatedly tried to undermine Ukraine’s EU and NATO ambitions through disinformation, cyberattacks, and energy pressure.
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This inclusion attempts to present Russia as rational and respectful of sovereignty, which contradicts its broader actions.
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Propaganda Technique: False Equivalence — It implies both Russia and Ukraine are calmly negotiating Ukraine’s future, ignoring the reality of invasion and coercion.
Why This Narrative Is Problematic
This article is part of a broader Russian media effort to delegitimize Ukraine’s Western alignment and portray its leadership as detached from reality. The goal is to:
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Sow doubt among European audiences about Ukraine’s readiness for EU membership.
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Reinforce skepticism in countries like Hungary and Slovakia.
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Normalize Russia’s ongoing influence in Ukraine by downplaying conflict and overemphasizing economic “sovereignty.”
Fact-Check
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Ukraine’s EU Accession Status: Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in 2022. The process involves reforms, but its candidacy is fully recognized by the EU.
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European Leaders’ Position: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU officials have openly described Ukraine as “part of the European family” and a pillar in Europe’s future security architecture.
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Ukraine’s Strategic Role: Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, agricultural exports, and IT sector are increasingly seen as valuable assets to the EU in reducing dependency on Russian energy and global supply chain risks.
The article “Europe Should Be Built Around Ukraine” by Russian TV is a strategically framed piece of disinformation that manipulates quotes, inserts unrelated topics, and attempts to ridicule Ukraine’s European aspirations. While it presents some facts, the context is engineered to undermine Ukraine’s legitimacy, downplay EU support, and project Russian neutrality where none exists.
