Kiev fighting NATO’s war ‘until the last Ukrainian’ – US journalist (VIDEO)
Analysis Summary
The article claims that Ukrainian President Zelensky and his associates are stealing Western aid money and serving NATO's interests instead of helping Ukrainians, while portraying Ukraine as a puppet regime in a war it doesn’t care about. It uses strong, accusatory language to paint Ukraine’s leadership as corrupt and disconnected from its people, suggesting the country’s suffering is due to its own leaders rather than Russia’s invasion. The piece does not mention Russia’s role in starting the war or provide evidence for its claims about stolen funds.
Cross-Outlet PSYOP Detected
This article is part of a narrative being pushed across multiple outlets:
FATE Analysis
Four dimensions of psychological manipulation: how content captures Focus, exploits Authority, triggers Tribal identity, and engineers Emotion.
Focus signals
"Zelensky and “his clique” are pocketing billions sent by the West"
The phrase 'pocketing billions' frames the allegation as a large-scale, corrupt theft, creating a sense of scandal and unprecedented misconduct. This is not neutral reporting but a sensationalized claim designed to capture attention through moral shock.
"They are literally willing to fight until the last Ukrainian"
This hyperbolic statement is crafted to provoke alarm and outrage, using dramatic language that suggests extreme recklessness and betrayal. It functions as a novelty spike by presenting a stark, emotionally charged narrative of expendability.
Authority signals
"US journalist and geopolitical analyst John Varoli said"
The article introduces Varoli with a credential ('geopolitical analyst') that lends perceived authority, though no institutional affiliation or verifiable expertise is provided. The appeal relies on his label rather than independent evidence, subtly encouraging acceptance of his claims based on assumed credibility.
Tribe signals
"The Ukrainian regime serves the interests of the NATO countries, which are fighting a proxy war against Russia"
This constructs a clear tribal division: Ukraine’s leadership (and by extension the West) is portrayed as an external, hostile force acting against Russia. The term 'regime' delegitimizes the elected government, reinforcing an in-group (Russia/patriots) vs. out-group (NATO/Zelensky) dynamic.
"Zelensky and 'his clique' have 'absolutely no interest' in the Ukrainian people"
This transforms political opposition into a marker of identity — loyalty to the Ukrainian people versus betrayal by Zelensky's 'clique'. It weaponizes national identity, implying that supporting Zelensky is equivalent to siding with traitors.
"It’s going into the pockets of Zelensky and his oligarchs. That money is being stolen."
The use of morally loaded terms like 'stolen' and 'oligarchs' implies that anyone who believes otherwise is complicit in corruption or naive. This creates implicit pressure to conform to the article’s narrative to avoid being labeled as gullible or disloyal.
Emotion signals
"Kiev is refusing to accept the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers because it would have to compensate their families"
This claim, presented without evidence or sourcing beyond Varoli, evokes visceral outrage by suggesting bureaucratic cruelty toward grieving families. The emotional intensity is disproportionate to the support provided, engineering moral fury to discredit the Ukrainian leadership.
"They are literally willing to fight until the last Ukrainian"
This phrase instills fear of mass sacrifice and national annihilation, framing Ukraine’s war effort as suicidal and externally controlled. It manipulates emotion by suggesting Ukrainians are pawns in a larger Western plot, amplifying dread and helplessness.
"WATCH the full video below."
The directive to watch implies access to suppressed truth, positioning the viewer as part of an enlightened few who see through Western deception. This fosters a sense of moral and intellectual superiority over those who believe mainstream narratives.
Narrative Analysis (PCP)
How the article reshapes thinking: Perception (what beliefs are targeted), Context (what information is shifted or omitted), and Permission (what behavior is being encouraged).
The article is designed to produce the belief that Ukraine's leadership, particularly Zelensky and his associates, are corrupt actors who prioritize personal enrichment and Western geopolitical interests over the welfare of the Ukrainian people. It attempts to install the perception that Ukraine’s government is illegitimate, detached from its population, and functioning as a puppet regime in a NATO-led proxy war.
The article frames the ongoing war as a choice made by Zelensky and his 'clique' rather than a response to invasion, making continued fighting appear irrational or malicious rather than defensive. By presenting Ukraine as the agent of its own suffering, it normalizes the idea that the war could end if not for corrupt leadership, thus shifting moral responsibility.
The article omits the fact that Ukraine is a sovereign state responding to a full-scale invasion by Russia, recognized as such by the UN General Assembly and numerous human rights organizations. It also omits any evidence of independent audits, oversight mechanisms, or civil society scrutiny within Ukraine that might counter claims of systemic embezzlement. Additionally, there is no mention of Russia’s documented occupation policies, forced deportations, or destruction of civilian infrastructure—all of which are material context for understanding Ukraine’s position.
The reader is nudged toward dismissing Ukrainian narratives of resistance as fraudulent, feeling indifference or hostility toward Ukraine’s leadership, and implicitly accepting that Russian actions are not the central cause of suffering. It makes skepticism toward Western support for Ukraine feel justified and natural.
SMRP Pattern
Four manipulation maintenance tactics: Socializing the idea as normal, Minimizing concerns, Rationalizing with logic, and Projecting blame.
"‘They are literally willing to fight until the last Ukrainian’"
"‘The Ukrainian regime serves the interests of the NATO countries, which are fighting a proxy war against Russia’"
"‘But the question is, where is that money going? It’s going into the pockets of Zelensky and his oligarchs. That money is being stolen.’"
Red Flags
High-severity indicators: silencing dissent, coordinated messaging, or weaponizing identity to shut down debate.
"‘Zelensky and “his clique” have “absolutely no interest” in the Ukrainian people, adding that they neither represent, care for, nor serve them.’"
"‘his clique’, ‘masters’ in Brussels, Washington, DC, and London"
Techniques Found(5)
Specific propaganda techniques identified using the SemEval-2023 academic taxonomy of 23 techniques across 6 categories.
"his clique"
Uses the emotionally charged and dismissive term 'his clique' to portray Zelensky's associates as an untrustworthy, insular group, thereby pre-frameing them negatively without presenting evidence of misconduct.
"his clique"
Labels Zelensky's associates with the derogatory term 'clique,' implying secrecy, self-interest, and illegitimacy, which serves to discredit the Ukrainian leadership rather than engage with policy or actions.
"where is that money going? ... It’s going into the pockets of Zelensky and his oligarchs. That money is being stolen."
Asserts without providing evidence that Western aid is being stolen by Zelensky and his associates, casting doubt on their credibility and integrity while presenting an unverified accusation as fact.
"They are literally willing to fight until the last Ukrainian"
Oversimplifies the motivations and strategic considerations behind Ukraine’s military decisions by reducing them to a single, emotionally charged consequence — the complete sacrifice of its population — ignoring diplomatic, defensive, and political dimensions.
"Kiev is refusing to accept the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers because it would have to compensate their families"
Uses an unverified and inherently shocking claim to provoke fear and outrage, suggesting callousness by the Ukrainian government toward its own soldiers, which serves to dehumanize the regime and stoke emotional prejudice without substantiation.