The news was published by a «satirical» pro-Russian channel that constantly spreads fakes about Ukraine. No diaspora organization in Canada has made such statements, and «Steve Tkachuk,» whom propagandists called the head of the Ukrainian Association in Toronto, does not exist at all.
«People have the right to self-determination,» — with these words, the Ukrainian diaspora in Toronto leader, Steve Tkachuk, allegedly called for Canada to hold a referendum on the country joining the US. This was reported by a number of pro-Russian sources.
«Donald Trump announces plans for rapprochement between the US and Canada? This is commendable. But first, it is worth asking the opinion of Canadians. If the majority decides that this is our choice, then there will be unification. People have the right to self-determination and expression of will. All democracies have historically lived this way,» — Steve Tkachuk allegedly stated. As is often the case with propaganda publications, there are no links to the source of the information.
However, this news is a fabrication. We checked the websites and social networks of the leading associations of Ukrainian diasporas in Canada and Toronto in particular — the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, UADSC, Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, Ukrainians in Toronto — and did not find any similar statements. Moreover, «Steve Tkachuk», whom the propagandists called the head of the Ukrainians in Toronto association, does not exist at all. The original source of the news was the pro-Russian Telegram channel «Imperiya Ochen Zla», which calls itself satirical. The description of the resource states: «Caution, possible fakes and harsh satire. What is written is an artistic fiction, all coincidences are accidental.» Indeed, the channel spreads a lot of fabricated news with a clearly pro-Russian slant: for example, that Putin has appointed payments to victims of fires in Los Angeles, or that Zelensky has asked famous football players to transfer their salaries to Ukrainian Forces. However, the post itself does not indicate that the information is a joke, so even the channel’s subscribers took it at face value, not to mention a number of other resources that spread the news without even paying attention to its source.
Such sources deliberately spread disinformation, and the disclaimer about the «satirical nature» of the news is used as a cover for their activities. We have already analyzed a similar case in the article Fake: Mexican President Refuses to Visit Ukraine, Calling Zelensky a Drug Addict.
