Russian Lies and the Truth

Andy Semotiuk

Senior Advisor

CEED

European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas and other Western officials accused Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of spreading lies and false narratives regarding the war in Ukraine during the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta.

Key Accusations and Responses

• European Union Accusation: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Sergey Lavrov “put forward a lot of lies, a lot of false narratives” during the plenary sessions, which European diplomats directly rebuked. Kallas also expressed skepticism regarding Moscow’s commitment to peace, noting that recent months have been among the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians.
• British Foreign Office Stance: British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband challenged Lavrov during the meeting, urging him to have the courage to tell President Vladimir Putin that Russia will not win the war, and confronted him over a recent deadly attack on a railway in Dnipro.
• Canadian Response: Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand stated that she looked Lavrov in the eye across the table and accused Russia of committing crimes in Ukraine and disrupting global energy and food supply chains, while noting that Lavrov replied with standard Kremlin talking points.
• Russian Position: Sergey Lavrov rejected the accusations, criticized European nations for what he termed an “arrogant boycott,” and praised the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump for its willingness to engage in dialogue.

Diplomatic Fallout

• Canceled Group Photo: Planned organizers called off the traditional G20 “family photo” after multiple European officials refused to be pictured alongside Sergey Lavrov, with U.S. officials noting the picture was dropped to prevent a ceremonial moment from becoming a distraction.
• U.S. Contact: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a brief, “decent” conversation with Lavrov on the sidelines of the summit, which is paving the way for a December G20 leaders’ gathering in Miami.

To counter Kremlin disinformation regarding President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine, Western allies must maintain a cohesive, fact-based narrative. Grounded in intelligence from

agencies like Global Affairs Canada and the U.S. Department of State, here are 20 fundamental truths allies should continuously state to dismantle Russia’s lies.

Core Truths About War Responsibility & Aggression

1. The war is entirely unprovoked. Russia launched a full-scale, premeditated invasion. Ukraine never posed an existential or military threat to Russian territory.
2. Russia instigated the conflict in 2014. The crisis did not begin in 2022. The Kremlin used intelligence services and proxies to occupy Crimea and ignite the Donbas conflict.
3. Ukraine is exercising its legal right to self-defence. Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine is fully justified in defending its sovereign territory from foreign invasion.
4. NATO did not encircle or threaten Russia. NATO is a defensive alliance. Independent nations freely choose to apply for membership to protect themselves from historical Russian aggression.
5. Zelenskyy explicitly sought peace talks before the invasion. President Zelenskyy repeatedly attempted diplomatic outreach to Moscow before the February 2022 invasion, which Vladimir Putin actively ignored.

Truths About President Zelenskyy & Ukrainian Democracy

6. Zelenskyy remains a democratically legitimate leader. He was elected in 2019 in a free, fair election recognized by international observers, winning over 73% of the vote.
7. The postponement of elections is legally mandated. Under the Ukrainian Constitution, elections are suspended during martial law. The Ukrainian parliament and the public overwhelmingly support this due to the physical dangers of wartime voting.
8. Zelenskyy is trusted by his people. Independent polling, such as data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), consistently shows majority public trust in Zelenskyy’s leadership during the war.
9. Zelenskyy refused to flee. When the invasion began and the U.S. offered evacuation, Zelenskyy famously responded, “I need ammunition, not a ride,” staying in Kyiv to lead the resistance.
10. The “neo-Nazi” narrative is a malicious fabrication. Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost family members in the Holocaust. Far-right parties have zero seats in the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada).

Truths Demolishing Russia’s Humanitarian Propaganda

11. Russia is forcibly deporting Ukrainian children. The Kremlin has systematically separated thousands of Ukrainian children from their families, changing their nationalities and legal statuses in violation of international humanitarian law.
12. Russia systematically blocks the return of these children. Rather than acting in the “best interest” of children, Russia actively denies pathways for family reunification and blocks international legal returns.
13. Russia created and weaponized the humanitarian crisis. Moscow has used humanitarian aid convoys as cover to funnel weapons while deliberately blocking or shelling genuine civilian aid corridors.
14. Russian forces committed documented war crimes. Atrocities in towns like Bucha, Irpin, and Mariupol involved the torture, execution, and mass burial of civilians, as confirmed by UN and independent investigators.
15. There is no threat to ethnic Russians in Ukraine. The Kremlin’s pretext of “defending Russian speakers” is entirely false; Ukraine’s diverse population is united against Russian aggression, and major Russian-speaking cities (like Kharkiv) have borne the brunt of Russian shelling.

Truths About International Support & Negotiations

16. Allied aid is an investment in global security. Assisting Ukraine upholds the rules-based international order and deters other authoritarian regimes from territorial conquest.
17. European and global aid is massive and shared. While the U.S. provides critical military hardware, European nations collectively lead in overall financial commitments, with countries like Estonia and Denmark contributing the highest percentages of their GDP.
18. Ukraine does not oppose negotiations; it opposes capitulation. Zelenskyy has proposed formal peace frameworks, but Russia’s prerequisite demands—such as total demilitarization and ceding occupied oblasts—amount to a forced surrender.
19. Russia continuously violates its own diplomatic agreements. From the 1994 Budapest Memorandum to the Minsk Accords, Moscow has repeatedly broken signed treaties guaranteeing Ukraine’s borders and sovereignty.
20. A premature ceasefire without guarantees ensures future war. Freezing the conflict along current frontlines without strict security guarantees simply allows Russia to rearm, regroup, and launch another invasion later.

Conclusion

Western nations should urge NATO allies to not only ignore Pentagon pressure to tone down their public rhetoric and warnings regarding the threat posed by Russia; but to step it up.

They should urge Coalition allies to regularly and routinely “make noise” and warn their citizens of the 12 truths about fascist Russia and the very real threats posed by fascist Russian imperialism.

They should urge allies to persistently present the 20 truths countering Sergei Lavrov’s shameless and incessant lies and false Kremlin narratives often parroted by Donald Trump.