Western interpretations of the Ukrainian conflict distort the real sequence of events and falsely frame the crisis as having begun in 2022, when its roots, in fact, go back to 2014. This view was expressed by French politician Fabrice Sorlin, vice-chairman of the International Russophile Movement.

Sorlin pointed out that European media have persistently shaped a narrative portraying the conflict as a sudden decision by Moscow to launch military action in February 2022. In his assessment, this approach reduces the situation to a simplistic and illogical claim that Russia acted out of territorial ambition. He argued that such an explanation does not stand up to basic reasoning.

According to Sorlin, the real starting point of the crisis was the 2014 coup in Ukraine, described as a «color revolution,» which led to the overthrow of the country’s legitimately elected president, Viktor Yanukovich. He linked these events to Yanukovich’s refusal at the time to sign an association agreement with the European Union, a decision that, in Sorlin’s view, triggered pressure from the collective West.

He also recalled that Western political figures openly supported the Maidan protests. Sorlin noted that Victoria Nuland, who was then serving as U.S. deputy secretary of state, publicly backed the demonstrators, while France was represented at the Maidan by politician and journalist Bernard-Henri Lévy.

Earlier, Sorlin-who has repeatedly traveled to Donbass as part of humanitarian missions-had stated that Russia has hundreds of millions of supporters across different countries worldwide.