Ukraine denies Russia's claim of meeting between Ukrainian Minister of Defense and Putin's aide
Photo: Vladimir Medinsky, Russian President's aide (Getty Images)
Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky spread false information about an alleged bilateral meeting with Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov ahead of the talks in Istanbul, Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation reports.
In reality, the meeting took place with the participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who acted as a mediator.
The Ukrainian side emphasized that statements about closed-door agreements are manipulative and aimed at undermining trust in the Ukrainian delegation.
Russian propaganda is preparing a two-pronged information attack: within Ukraine, conspiratorial narratives will be spread suggesting alleged personal ties between Ukrainian negotiators and Russia; meanwhile, in the West, the message will be that Ukraine is delaying peace talks.
In reality, Russia has systematically avoided agreements on a ceasefire.
The Kremlin's goal is to distort reality and portray the aggressor as a peacemaker. The Center for Countering Disinformation urges people not to fall for such manipulations and to support the negotiation process aimed at restoring peace.
Yesterday Russian President's aide Vladimir Medinsky claimed that he had held a separate meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Istanbul.
"There was a meeting. It played an important role in preparing the general negotiation session," Medinsky said.
