Russian myths of "one people" and "NATO's attack on Russia" in the legitimization of the Russo-Ukrainian war
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Date
2023
Authors
Solovei, Galyna
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Dykinson
Abstract
On December 17, 2021, the Russian Federation issued an ultimatum to the United States of America, the OSCE and NATO sending draft security agreements between the United States and Russia and between NATO and Russia, respectively. Among other things, second document emphasizes: "The Russian Federation and all the Parties that were member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as of 27 May 1997, respectively, shall not deploy military forces and weaponry on the territory of any of the other States in Europe in addition to the forces stationed on that territory as of 27 May 1997" (Agreement, 2021). In this paragraph, Russian diplomats refer to the treaty concluded between Russia and NATO in 1997, which contains clauses on joint responsibility for security on the European continent (Founding Act, 1997), but does not contain clauses on non-expansion of NATO to the East and nondeployment of weapons at the territories of new NATO member states. According to this Russian requirement, such states as Czechia, Hungary, and Poland (joined NATO in 1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia (2004), as well as Albania and Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017), and North Macedonia (2020) would have to completely lose the protection they received by becoming members of the Alliance. In the draft treaties, Russia emphasized on forbidding Ukraine to join NATO: "All member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization commit themselves to refrain from any further enlargement of NATO, including the accession of Ukraine as well as other States" and outlined a wider range of territories of sovereign states with which NATO countries were prohibited from having military relations: "The Parties that are member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization shall not conduct any military activity on the territory of Ukraine as well as other States in the Eastern Europe, in the South Caucasus and in Central Asia." (Agreement, 2021). At the time of the announcement of the ultimatum, about 100,000 Russian troops were gathered on the border with Ukraine.
Description
Keywords
"special military operation", war, Russian invasion, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, book chapter
Citation
Solovei G. Russian myths of "one people" and "NATO's attack on Russia" in the legitimization of the Russo-Ukrainian war / Galyna Solovei // Disinformation and fact-checking in contemporary society / Daniel Catalán Matamoros, Viktoriia Romaniuk, ... Galyna Solovei et al.] ; Catalán-Matamoros, Daniel, coordinador. - Madrid : [s. n.], 2023. - Chapter 6. - P. 101-116.