When Russia gathered troops on the Ukrainian border, Sputnik.az website, which is funded from the Russian state budget, reported that the United States had prepared the ground for the deaths of thousands of Ukrainians in Donbas.
"Washington has created a zone of catastrophe and long-term military tension in the center of Europe and preconditions for the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainians in Donbas, and a future large-scale armed conflict between NATO and Russia, for its own interests and to the detriment of its allies," the article said.
Fakt Yoxla examined whether this claim was true.
The main tension between the Russian Federation and Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR was in 2014. In 2013, President Yanukovych's preference for strong ties with Russia rather than an agreement with the European Union sparked protests in Ukraine. A ceasefire was declared in 2014 after the protests went out of control.
Ukraine's pro-Western policy has been sharply criticized by Russia. As a result, Russia has launched military operations in eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula. Masked Russian troops have seized important points in Crimea, such as airports and military bases, on Putin's orders.
Russian forces have seized the Supreme Council of Crimea. The Crimean Council of Ministers has been dissolved and a new pro-Russian prime minister has been appointed.
In April 2014, separatists began seizing government buildings in Donetsk and Luhansk and eventually declared their independence.
The Russian military assisted the separatists and was directly involved in the process. In addition, there is ample evidence of the involvement of Russian forces in the conflicts in both Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
Thus, there is no evidence that Washington has orchestrated military tensions in Ukraine and deaths in Donbas.
Fakt Yoxla concludes that Sputnik.az's claim is Anti-Western Propaganda.
