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Anders Östlund Profile picture
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Jan 30 • 11 tweets • 4 min read
They are not "Russia-backed separatists" in Donbass. They were created by, and are controlled by, Russia. Time to kill the false and dangerous narrative about independent fighters once and for all. Good one by @PaulNiland.
@cepa #Ukraine #RussiaCrisis
cepa.org/west-must-ackn… ImageImageImage
@PaulNiland @cepa I challenge news media who use the phrase "Russia-backed separatists" to find traces of such a movement before the spring of 2014, even until the very day the violent groups took control of areas of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts in Ukraine.
Would the "Russia-backed separatists" be able to fight on their own, without Moscow's support? If Russia said the "separatists" should stop fighting, could then continue anyway? Do they have that power?
How many of the "separatists" are locals, how many are Russians? Where are the leaders from? Is there a popular support for their cause? Are the leaders elected locally or appointed by Moscow?
Did the Russian armed forces intervene with its own, regular, troops in the fighting? Many say that in the beginning it was Russian commandos who led the fighting, and in Ilovaisk and Debaltseve the Russian army changed the outcomes to Russia's favor.
Why have Western nations stuck with the "Russia-backed separatists" narrative since 2014? Because they want normal relations with Moscow, and they could not possibly have that if they admitted Russia was fighting a war against Ukraine.
By sticking with the "Russia-backed separatist" fairy tale the West could avoid all those things that are discussed now, such as crippling sanctions. Now an "incursion" is also an attack, in 2014 an invasion was nothing. Pure politics, nothing to do with honesty.
Besides a court in the Netherlands are about to decide on culpability of the shooting down of MH17 in 2014. If the court says it's Russia, then that should be it for the West.
As for Russia a court in Rostov already confirmed the presence of Russian troops in Donbass when it settled a case of bribery.
euromaidanpress.com/2021/12/16/rus…
So, if you see the "Russia-backed separatist" narrative, please do us all a favor and point out that it's false. Please don't let eight year old Kremlin propaganda continue to blur the facts on the ground. Away with the "separatist" story, in with the "Russian army" story.

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More from @andersostlund

Anders Östlund Profile picture
Feb 1
The Nazi archaeology in Ukraine is on again. Please remind me, how many percent did the far right get in the last elections in Ukraine? 3%, 2.5%?
Of course the nazi hunt had to happen. Few articles about how Ukraine had a Jewish PM in the previous government and a Jewish president now. Many articles about a fringe movement likely to literally bleed out in case Russia launch a major offensive.
Same with the damned language issue. I hear Russian being spoken way more often than Ukrainian in Kyiv, and none looks like they are afraid. Besides, a language is not an ideology but just a language.
Read 13 tweets
Anders Östlund Profile picture
Jan 31
Yesterday Swedish Public TV, @svt, ran a documentary about Russia that had so many pieces of Russian propaganda lies in it that it was pulled within 24 hours after complaints from viewers. They even got the cover photo wrong, it's from Kyiv.
naringslivets-medieinstitut.se/svt-backar-om-…
@svt I am, to say the least, furious about how the Russia Crisis is covered by media in Sweden. Despite many good articles and TV-pieces I don't understand why they still let propaganda slip through so easily. Facts are out there, just check them before publishing.
@svt In December I wrote a long letter to a newspaper requesting a correction of an article. They answered politely but no correction came, damage done but no repair. The same happened again later with the same newspaper.
Read 6 tweets
Anders Östlund Profile picture
Jan 31
This one is worth reading. Putin is trapped in his own trap, and considering he only fights when he can safely win and is afraid of admitting any losses a new offensive against Ukraine is unlikely. But the risk is still too big to ignore.
nytimes.com/2022/01/28/opi…
As before Putin is uniting his enemies. Who expected a strong alliance of democracies to form so quickly, and in Germany ostpolitik is under pressure, London might go after dirty money, Paris has aligned itself with the US. All things we thought impossible only six months ago.
If we are lucky Finland and Sweden will seriously consider NATO membership too.
Read 4 tweets
Anders Östlund Profile picture
Jan 29
Germany could just say it out loud: We lack the spine to take a stand against Russia, and since the U.S. and NATO protect us we have no reason to take a stand in the first place. Better enjoy the benefits from not spending on the military and do business with the autocrats too.
My view:
Sweden on the other hand stands on the barricades for human rights, at least as long as it doesn't have a negative business impact on HM, Volvo, Ericsson, IKEA, Atlas Copco, Scania, Alfa Laval, or any other Swedish business.
Read 11 tweets
Anders Östlund Profile picture
Jan 28
Germany's original sin is that didn't use all its powers to push back against aggression from the very beginning. It should have learnt this lesson after WWII.
ft.com/content/25b54d…
Where Germany got the idea about a strategic partnership with Russia from is also a mystery to me. My Mother always told me to never associate with criminals. Germany should have known this too. It was obvious what kind of Putin is even before he became president.
Further, even if Germany liked to see Nord Stream 1 and 2 as commercial energy projects it was obvious they were Molotov - Ribbentrop part II for Russia. A knife is lethal even if it can also be used to cut potatoes.
Read 8 tweets
Anders Östlund Profile picture
Jan 28
Americans, and others, who claim that Russian speakers in Ukraine are pro-Russia because of the language they speak should ask why English speakers in America revolted against England and created the United States. Because it's about ideology and belonging, not language.
Then look at ethnicity. How many of the Americans who revolted against the English were ethic Englishmen? I bet a large part of the supporters of American independence were ethic Englishmen, so why did they revolt? Because was not about ethnicity, it was about ideology.
Americans typically identify along certain shared values and are proud to call themselves Americans. Despite this I have met many Americans who express pride in their heritage. Was JFK foremost an Irishman or an American? Heritage is one thing, current identification another.
Read 4 tweets

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