Russia Is Ramping Up Nuclear War Propaganda
WiredDec 23, 2022
Day 254 Roundup: Zelenskyy Says 4.5M Ukrainians Facing Electricity Shortages
Image copyright: AP Photos [via AP News]
The Facts
In his nightly address on Thursday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that an estimated 4.5M people across Kyiv, its outskirts, and nine other regions were facing rolling blackouts in the country. He also used the address to call on Ukraine's energy providers to be more transparent about planned blackouts to help tackle perceptions of unfairness.
Addressing the energy companies, Zelenskyy said: "Please be more active in explaining to people when and why you disconnect this or that street, this or that district. Now is the time for such microcommunications. People have a right to know." He added: "If someone stays without electricity for eight or ten hours, and everything is connected, including street lighting, across the street, then this is definitely unfair."
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
Pro-Russia narrative
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.