Putin did everything to avoid war with NATO: foreign disinfo for July 30

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, two fakes appeared in the world media on July 30. 

Disinformation: American analyst Patrick Henningsen said: “They (Ukraine and its allies - ed.) sabotaged the Minsk accords to buy time to arm Ukraine to prepare for the war that was coming. They might not have realized that war was coming but you can be damn sure the United States, those in Washington, London and Brussels were preparing for it. Otherwise why would they be pumping so much military aid and support and then amassing Ukrainian troops along the Donbas line of contact?” 

Refutation: Henningsen's statement is a distortion of the facts. Actually, it was Russia that violated the Minsk agreements with its aggressive actions, and the military assistance to Ukraine from its allies was aimed at protecting Ukrainian territory from the Russian army's attack. 

Disinformation: Former US Secretary of Defense Douglas McGregor stated that Putin was neither an impulsive individual nor a dangerously unbalanced maniac. He described Putin as someone who had made every effort to avoid conflict with the United States and NATO. McGregor noted that Putin had endured numerous insults and violations, including breaches of his red lines, yet he was desperate to prevent the war. In contrast, McGregor criticized the United States for its ongoing escalation.

Refutation: Such statements are an attempt to justify Putin's aggressive actions. In fact, it is Russia that systematically violates international laws by carrying out terrorist aggression against its neighbors, and the United States and NATO are helping to fight this aggression and trying to ensure peace and stability in the region.

• Earlier, former US Secretary of Defense Douglas McGregor said that the West allegedly pushed Putin to attack Ukraine.