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The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, returned from the International Economic Forum in Davos after having dozens of meetings with the presidents and prime ministers. The Ukrainian minister says that today, Russia is dispersing four narratives against our state and urges to actively oppose them, in particular on social networks.
I was in Davos for the first time, and it was truly powerful. A small number of people come there to talk about serious things, the future of the world, so that it develops properly, although the majority just want to grab attention... I had more than a dozen meetings, including closed ones. I walked, listened, and realised several narratives that Russia is actively spreading among its sympathizers and semi-sympathizers.
The first narrative is that Ukraine resists in vain, because the West will leave it to its own devices, so Ukraine should not hope for anything.
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The second narrative is that Ukraine has diverted the world’s attention from solving other issues, because the world is full of different problems, wars, and the West, instead of the world dealing with these problems and treating all countries and peoples equally, focused on helping Ukraine. In this way, Russia wants to incite Africa, the Middle East, and, in part, Asia against Ukraine and our partners.
This argument is specific, but it needs to be worked on. This topic is easily perceivable, and we will seriously oppose this narrative. But it’s also a testament to the effectiveness of the Ukrainian state: otherwise, we’d not have managed to draw attention to the war, mobilize support for the West, because the West has now come to life and is in a different state. Therefore, what the President and the Government are doing today, Ukrainian diplomats, the Armed Forces, volunteers, citizens – all this deserves the highest praise from the enemy, who wants to use our success in mobilizing the world against ourselves.
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Russia’s third narrative is that the only problem with the world’s food crisis is the sanctions imposed on Russia. They turn everything upside down and say: «Remove the sanctions from us and we will lift the blockade of Ukrainian ports. Then grain, oil and corn will enter the world market and there will be no famine.» We will answer, of course, that the only cause of the food crisis is Russian aggression against Ukraine, not sanctions. But, to be honest, there are people in the world who like this narrative and say that sanctions should be lifted from Russia. They are few, but still they are.
Finally, fourth narrative that I heard seemed completely unconscious to me, but it is there and I clearly felt it in different conversations. It asks why Ukraine is resisting at all, inflicting untold suffering on its own people and country. If the war is so difficult and everything is so difficult, then we must sit down and negotiate with Russia, no matter what the price. This is a painful comment, but I have heard it from several people. It does not respect the sacrifice made by the Ukrainian people in this war, fighting for their freedom. I do not want you to have the impression that these are dominant thoughts, these are thoughts that Russia is beginning to promote. There are those who pick them up – not because they are bought by Russia, but because deep analysts take into account all factors and try to think in a balanced way. Conversations on this topic were concealed behind closed doors, when I had to friendly «cut in» those representatives who pick up this thesis of the enemy.
I want you to pay attention to these narratives. In the coming weeks and months, Russia will actively promote them, and I hope that together with friends, foreigners, and on social networks, we will oppose these narratives.
By Dmytro Kuleba, translated by Vitalii Holich
The author’s column is a reflection of the author’s subjective position. The editorial board of «Your City» does not always share the views expressed in the columns, and is ready to give dissenters the opportunity for a reasoned answer.
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