Russian spin at its finest

THE diatribe from Ghalied Gedult (Cape Argus, May 9) comparing truth with narrative regarding the invasion of Ukraine was full of inaccuracies and Russian spin. This nonsense could have come straight out of the Kremlin.

Gedult writes about narratives and truths. Whose truth does he refer to? Putin’s truth it seems. The “truth” is the facts, not someone’s opinion – not mine, not Gedult’s. The facts are that Russia illegally and brutally invaded the independent sovereign and democratic state of Ukraine. The facts are that Russian borders were never compromised or threatened by Ukraine. The facts are that the conflict in the Donbas region where Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russia-backed separatists on Ukrainian soil since 2014 was to keep the Russians out of Ukraine. Factually, Russia invaded Georgia and the Crimea in the same way as Ukraine but got a bloody nose this time. Factually, Russia is simply expanding her borders without provocation from anyone. Suggestions that Russia is somehow threatened by a Nato member being on their border defy belief. Factually, Nato has no ambitions in Russia and exists solely to prevent the very thing that is happening in Ukraine.

Factually, suggestions coming out of the Kremlin that the invasion of Ukraine was to end Nazism and liberate Ukraine is a work of fiction. Why would anyone want to be liberated from a democratic independent country? Liberated from what? To be replaced by life in a dystopian society created by the Kremlin? This is Russian spin at its finest.

Factually, Vladimir Putin is instrumental in the slaughter of thousands of innocent Ukrainian citizens and the destruction of an entire country. He has furthermore sent 20000 to 30000 young Russian soldiers to their deaths. He is a pariah and a war criminal.

COLIN BOSMAN | Newlands