1. The Quiet Battle for Truth
There is a battle happening that is not fought with tanks, missiles, or drones, but with words, images, and carefully manufactured illusions. It is a battle for the minds of millions, and it has been raging just as fiercely as the physical war on the ground. In recent days, the Center for Countering Disinformation, a Ukrainian government body tasked with exposing and dismantling enemy propaganda, has raised the alarm about a new wave of Russian disinformation aimed at Ukraine and its allies. According to the Center, Russia has intensified its campaign to convince the world—and more importantly, Ukrainians themselves—that Ukraine has no future as a sovereign nation. The narrative is not new, but it has been sharpened, amplified, and pushed across multiple media platforms with renewed urgency. The core of the lie is simple: Ukraine is supposedly on the verge of collapse, and once it disintegrates, its territories will be carved up among its neighbors. This is not just a random conspiracy theory. It is a deliberate psychological operation designed to demoralize, confuse, and fracture the unity that has kept Ukraine standing against an unprovoked invasion.
What makes this disinformation particularly insidious is that it preys on legitimate fears. Ukrainians have lived through centuries of foreign domination, and the idea of their land being divided once again is deeply traumatic. Russia knows this. By reviving these historical wounds, the Kremlin hopes to weaken the Ukrainian spirit from within, to make people believe that their resistance is futile, and that Western partners will eventually abandon them. The Center for Countering Disinformation has documented how Russian media outlets have spread a series of manipulative materials claiming that Ukraine has no future, and that after the so-called “disintegration” of the country, its territories will be divided between Russia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Belarus. The absurdity of this claim does not make it harmless. On the contrary, the more absurd the lie, the more it is repeated, the more it becomes normalized in the information space. The goal is not to convince rational people. The goal is to create enough noise, enough confusion, that the truth becomes difficult to distinguish from fiction. In times of war, such confusion can be just as deadly as any bomb.
2. A Familiar, Far-Fetched Fairy Tale
Let us look more closely at the specific contours of this new disinformation push. The story goes something like this: Ukraine is portrayed as a failed state, a “black hole” of corruption and chaos, with no viable economy, no real army, and no legitimate government. According to the Russian media narrative, the country is being kept alive only by artificial Western support, and the moment that support wanes, Ukraine will collapse under its own weight. Then, the narrative continues, the vultures will descend. Poland, being Ukraine’s western neighbor, is cast as a power-hungry force that wants to reclaim territory it considers historically its own. Hungary, under the leadership of Viktor Orbán, is similarly portrayed as coveting the Zakarpattia region, where a Hungarian minority lives. Romania is allegedly eyeing the northern Bukovina and parts of the Odesa region, while Belarus is presented as Russia’s loyal sidekick, ready to absorb whatever scraps Moscow allows. And, of course, Russia itself is conveniently positioned as the only “stabilizing” force, the one country that supposedly has a historical right to the rest of Ukraine. It is a conspiracy-laden tale that echoes the darkest chapters of European history, and it is being fed to audiences across the globe through Russian state media, Telegram channels, fake think tanks, and armies of bots on social media.
The Center for Countering Disinformation has warned that these claims are entirely baseless. There is no evidence to suggest that Poland, Hungary, Romania, or Belarus have any territorial ambitions against Ukraine. In reality, these countries, with the notable exception of Belarus, have been among Ukraine’s most important supporters since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Poland in particular has welcomed millions of Ukrainian refugees, provided military aid, and served as a vital hub for Western weapons deliveries. Hungary has its differences with Kyiv over minority rights, but even Budapest has repeatedly affirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The idea that these governments are secretly conspiring with Russia to carve up Ukraine is not only paranoid, it is a direct inversion of the truth. Russia is the only country that has actually annexed Ukrainian territory. Russia is the only country that is actively trying to erase Ukraine from the map. And yet, by projecting its own intentions onto others, the Kremlin is attempting to portray itself as a victim, while accusing Ukraine’s real friends of the very crime Russia itself is committing. It is a classic propaganda technique: accuse your enemies of what you are doing, and repeat it until enough people start to doubt the obvious.
3. The Kremlin’s Endless, Repeating Loop
This is not the first time Russia has run this play. In fact, the Center for Countering Disinformation emphasizes that the Kremlin has been promoting this exact narrative for years, long before the full-scale invasion. Back in 2014, when Russia first occupied Crimea and fomented war in the Donbas, Moscow was already circulating maps and stories about how Ukraine would soon be divided. Similar theories were floated during the 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2013–2014 Euromaidan protests, when Russia sought to undermine the legitimacy of pro-European movements in Ukraine. At every moment of crisis, the same names appear: Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Belarus. The list rarely changes. The specific details are adjusted to fit the current political climate, but the underlying message remains the same: Ukraine is an artificial creation, a historical accident, and its independence is temporary at best. This narrative serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it aims to convince Russian citizens that the war in Ukraine is not an act of aggression but a necessary “reunification” of historically Russian lands and a preemptive strike against Western expansion. On the other hand, it is designed to plant seeds of suspicion among Ukraine’s international partners, to suggest that no one truly believes in Ukraine’s sovereignty and that everyone is just waiting for the right moment to grab a piece of the pie.
Recently, this lie was given new life by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself. In one of his periodic addresses, he once again raised the topic of Ukraine’s “future,” hinting that the country could cease to exist and that its territories would be divided among its neighbors. By saying this directly, Putin is not merely making a statement; he is issuing a command to the Russian propaganda machine to amplify the theme, to saturate the information space with articles, videos, and memes that make the idea seem normal and inevitable. The Center for Countering Disinformation has responded with a firm and unequivocal rejection of these claims. They point out that no European leader, no major political party, and no international institution has given any credibility to the idea of dividing Ukraine. On the contrary, the European Union, NATO, and individual European nations have repeatedly and loudly reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity. They have provided billions of dollars in aid, imposed wave after wave of sanctions on Russia, and opened their doors to Ukrainian refugees. This is not the behavior of countries that are plotting to dismember Ukraine. It is the behavior of countries that understand that the security of Europe depends on the survival of a free and independent Ukraine.
4. A Story With No Basis in Reality
The Center for Countering Disinformation’s response is important not only because it debunks the specific claims, but because it reminds us of a fundamental truth: Ukraine’s western neighbors are not enemies. Poland, for example, has a complex and sometimes painful history with Ukraine, but in recent years, the two countries have built a remarkable partnership based on mutual respect and common interests. Polish cities have become second homes for millions of Ukrainians, and Polish volunteers were among the first to help Ukrainian soldiers and refugees. Hungary and Romania have also, despite political frictions, recognized Ukraine’s borders and have shown solidarity in practical ways. Even Belarus, which is effectively a vassal state of Russia, has not formally asserted any claims on Ukrainian territory, even though it has allowed Russian troops to use its soil for the invasion. To suggest that these countries are all part of a grand conspiracy is to ignore the political realities of the region. It is also to insult the intelligence of the people living in these countries, who understand very well that any attempt to redraw borders by force would lead to disaster, not only for Ukraine but for the entire continent.
Why, then, does Russia continue to push such a transparently false narrative? The answer lies in the psychological impact it can have. In wartime, morale is a critical factor. If Ukrainians can be made to believe that their allies are secretly planning to betray them, the trust that holds the coalition together could begin to erode. If Western citizens can be persuaded that Ukraine is a lost cause, a corrupt and doomed state, they may pressure their governments to cut off aid. If the international community can be distracted by wild conspiracy theories, it may take its eye off the real crimes Russia is committing on the battlefield. The Center for Countering Disinformation is reminding everyone that these informational attacks are not innocent rumors. They are targeted strikes against the social and political fabric of Ukraine and its alliances. The goal is to destabilize regional security, to create divisions between Kyiv and its Western partners, and to offer a justificatory narrative for Russia’s aggression. By casting Ukraine as a land that is destined to be divided, Russia hopes to normalize the idea of its own conquests. Every piece of disinformation, every viral post, every fake news article is a small brick in the wall of deception that Moscow wants to build around the truth.
5. The Human Cost of Information Warfare
To humanize this issue, we have to remember that behind every mention of “disinformation,” there are real people whose lives are affected. There are Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, fighting for their country’s existence, who may hear these rumors and wonder if the world they are fighting for will still be there when they return. There are refugees in Poland, Hungary, and Romania, who have been welcomed into strange homes, shared meals with strangers, and tried to build new lives while their homeland is under attack. Imagine the pain of hearing that these very countries, these kind and generous hosts, are secretly planning to take your land. It is a cruel and cynical tactic, designed to turn friends into suspects, to make warmth feel like a trap. Russia does not care if the story is true. Russia cares about the emotional effect. It wants to make Ukrainians feel isolated, frightened, and alone, even when they are surrounded by support. It wants to make Western citizens feel skeptical and weary, to question whether their tax money is going to a doomed project. This is the true face of information warfare: it uses the most intimate feelings—fear, pride, suspicion, hope—as weapons.
The Center for Countering Disinformation does not just analyze these stories; it actively works to counter them, providing evidence, context, and clear explanations. But experts alone cannot stop the spread of lies. Every person who reads this article, sees a post on social media, or hears a comment from a friend has a role to play. We can choose to verify facts before sharing them. We can choose to support honest journalism and independent media, such as Pryamim, that refuse to publish Kremlin propaganda. We can choose to speak up when we hear baseless claims about Ukraine’s allies. The fight against disinformation is not a spectator sport. It requires engagement, critical thinking, and courage. In many ways, it is a simple battle between darkness and light. The darkness of conspiracy theories may be compelling because it offers simple explanations for complex events, but it leads nowhere except to confusion and despair. The light of truth, on the other hand, is often more complicated, but it is the only path to justice, peace, and lasting security.
6. Standing Firm in the Light of Truth
As we reflect on this latest wave of Russian disinformation, let us remember that the truth is on Ukraine’s side. Russia’s repeated claims about the division of Ukrainian territories are not just false; they are a confession of Moscow’s own imperial ambitions. It is Russia that has occupied Ukrainian land. It is Russia that has held sham referendums and tried to annex Ukrainian provinces. It is Russia that has bombed Ukrainian cities and killed Ukrainian civilians. No amount of propaganda can change those facts. The United States, the European Union, and a coalition of free nations have stood with Ukraine, not because they are naive, but because they understand the stakes. If the principle of territorial integrity is allowed to be destroyed by aggression, then no country is safe. If the world accepts the idea that powerful neighbors can carve up weaker states, then the entire international order collapses. That is why the struggle against Russian disinformation is not merely a Ukrainian struggle; it is a global struggle. The Center for Countering Disinformation has asked the world to listen, to understand, and to refuse to be manipulated. The request is not complicated. All it takes is a commitment to reality, a willingness to resist the seductive allure of conspiracy theories, and an unwavering belief that nations have the right to exist within their own borders.
In the end, the Russian narrative about dividing Ukraine is a story of desperation. It is the fantasy of a regime that cannot win on the battlefield, so it tries to win in the minds and hearts of people. It is the fable of a leader who cannot accept the sovereignty of a neighboring nation, so he tries to convince himself and others that the nation is not real. But Ukraine is real. Its people are real. Its independent press, its brave army, its vibrant culture, its millions of citizens who refuse to give up—all of these are real. They are not waiting to be parceled out to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Russia, or Belarus. They are building a country together, with all its flaws and struggles, and they are defending it with everything they have. Russia can spread all the lies it wants, but it cannot change the fundamental truth that Ukraine belongs to Ukrainians. And the world, for the most part, knows this. So let us not despair at the presence of disinformation. Let us see it for what it is: a sign that the enemy is afraid. We should respond with clarity, courage, and unity. Follow the work of organizations like the Center for Countering Disinformation, support reliable media like Pryamim, and remember that every time you choose the truth over a convenient lie, you are winning a small battle in the larger war for justice. In the end, the divisions Moscow dreams of will remain exactly that—a dream, while Ukraine endures, sovereign and indivisible, as long as its people and friends remain vigilant.