Category Aid to Ukraine

Have U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

Have U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

False. Congress has only approved $113 billion for spending in Ukraine. Researchers tracking spending suggest that only around $77 billion has gone directly to Ukraine, a combination of financial, military and other forms of aid.

It's not clear where the $200 billion figure has come from. A Fox News report in February 2023 attributed it to a Ukrainian government statement that Newsweek could not find. Another estimate broadcast on Tucker Carlson Tonight the same month was presented without evidence and upon inspection appears dubious.

Read MoreHave U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

Fake: Corruption up by 500% in Ukraine Over Past Year, US Aid Not Reaching…

This claim about corruption levels in Ukraine is false. During a March 29 hearing in the US House of Representatives on Ukraine aid transparency and accountability oversight mechanisms, the inspectors general of three US government agencies involved in the delivery and distribution of aid to Ukraine stated that "there is no evidence that support for Ukraine has been used improperly". One year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, international organizations tracking corruption have not recorded an increase in corruption in Ukraine. According to the Transparency International Corruption Index, Ukraine received 33 points in the 2022 rating, one point higher than 2the previous year.

Read MoreFake: Corruption up by 500% in Ukraine Over Past Year, US Aid Not Reaching…

No, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

This claim is inaccurate. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a U.S. Defense Department arm that works to deter attacks and emerging threats, in November 2019 awarded a contract for non-COVID-19 training support in Ukraine, the agency said.

An agency spokesperson said the contract's description was modified in 2020, months after the virus emerged, to focus on COVID-19 research. The Defense Department typically modifies contracts over time to address emerging needs.

The Defense Department did not pay for COVID-19 research in Ukraine before the virus emerged. We rate this claim False.

Read MoreNo, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

Fake: Kateryna Prokopenko Becomes an Influential German Politician

There is no evidence that the wife of the Azov regiment commander Kateryna Prokopenko is engaged in any political activities, especially in Germany. Prokopenko, as the head of the public organization 'Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders, visited Germany in early April to draw attention to Ukrainian soldiers being released from captivity and pressure international organizations to investigate the terrorist attack in Olenivka. Representatives of the German Foreign Ministry, in turn, promised to help with implementing rehabilitation programs for the families of the soldiers who died in Mariupol and the families of heroes injured in the terrorist attack in Olenivka, as well as soldiers who returned from captivity with amputations. Moreover, Azov is neither neo-Nazi or fascist. It is an old Russian propaganda fake.

Read MoreFake: Kateryna Prokopenko Becomes an Influential German Politician

Is This a Real Recruitment Poster to US Welfare Recipients for the International Legion of Ukraine?

[T]he poster is not legitimate. Not only is it riddled with suspicious errors, the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA has denied authorship of, or support for, the poster. For these reasons, we rate the claim as "False."

Read MoreIs This a Real Recruitment Poster to US Welfare Recipients for the International Legion of Ukraine?

Why fake anti-Zelensky graffiti is showing up all over the world – The Observers

Did graffiti depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a black hole "sucking up European money" really appear on the streets of a Paris suburb? What about graffiti showing the president as an insect or as excrement? According to images circulating online, graffiti like this has been popping up on the streets of several European cities. But in fact, none of them ever existed. We took a closer look to prove that they are fake.

Read MoreWhy fake anti-Zelensky graffiti is showing up all over the world – The Observers

Fake: UK Transfer of Uranium Shells to Ukraine is “Nuclear Escalation and a New…

The UK Ministry of Defence says depleted uranium is a standard component of
modern armaments and is not a nuclear weapon, and calls Russian statements
on the issue "deliberate disinformation". The British army has been using
depleted uranium in its armor-piercing shells for decades, and independent
scientific research has shown that depleted uranium impact on human health
and the environment is minimal.

Read MoreFake: UK Transfer of Uranium Shells to Ukraine is “Nuclear Escalation and a New…

Fake: US Intelligence Officer Says Poland Contributes to Ukraine’s Armed Forces Destruction

Poland providing Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets does not in any way contribute to the "destruction of Ukraine's Armed Forces". On the contrary, Poland and Slovakia's decision to transfer several dozen fighter jets to the Ukrainian military will only strengthen Ukraine's combat readiness for the expected counteroffensive. Poland is one of Ukraine's main partners in providing military assistance and training Ukrainian soldiers. Warsaw was one of the first countries to announce it would send German Leopard 2 tanks, as well as MiG-29 jets to Ukraine.

Read MoreFake: US Intelligence Officer Says Poland Contributes to Ukraine’s Armed Forces Destruction

Military Equipment Traveling Back to U.S., Contrary to Social Media Posts

A U.S. Army combat team recently completed its European deployment as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a series of military exercises in support of NATO. The brigade has returned to Fort Hood, Texas, and its equipment will follow. But social media posts falsely claim the equipment shown in a video is "arriving in Europe" to aid Ukraine.

Read MoreMilitary Equipment Traveling Back to U.S., Contrary to Social Media Posts

Debunking claims that Polish Leopard 2 tanks got stuck in mud in Ukraine – Truth or Fake

Social media users are sharing a video that falsely claims Polish Leopard 2 tanks were captured while stuck in deep mud somewhere in Ukraine. But the misleading video has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Read MoreDebunking claims that Polish Leopard 2 tanks got stuck in mud in Ukraine – Truth or Fake