Category Germany

Fake: Ukrainian Intelligence Chief Budanov Felt Into a Coma

The website of the German media Stern has no articles about Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov falling
into a coma and being hospitalized in Germany. In addition, neither the
press center, nor the medical service of the Bundeswehr, nor the German
Defense Ministry, nor the Berlin police were able to provide any
information regarding the hospitalization of the head of Ukrainian
intelligence. According to Ukrainian authorities, Kyrylo Budanov is well
and performing at his job. In addition, the intelligence office published
several videos with the head of intelligence already after the missile
attack on Kyiv on May 29. This, according to the Russian media, was the
cause of Budanov being seriously injured.

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Fake: Germany’s Rheinmetall Shares Fall Drastically After Ukraine’s Failed Counteroffensive

Data from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange data shows that the value of
Rheinmetall group's shares fluctuated, and no sharp drops have been noted.
The Ukrainian military highly appreciates the quality of German weapons,
and Rheinmetall AG is planning to increase production, as demand for its
products is growing, driven by the Russian war in Ukraine.

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FactChecking Pence’s Presidential Announcement

Pence gave the misleading impression that the Obama administration gave Ukraine no "military resources at all" after Russia's 2014 invasion. The U.S. provided nonlethal military aid, including training, vehicles and radar equipment.

The former vice president misleadingly accused the Biden administration of "giving Russia back a Nord Stream 2 deal," referring to a Russian natural gas pipeline to Germany that remains inoperable and under U.S. sanctions.

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This is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine

This is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine

The lesson of the 20th century is that putting “America First” requires us to project strength and deter our enemies from launching wars of aggression — so that U.S. troops to don’t have to fight and die in another global conflagration. The invasion in Ukraine was a failure of deterrence. Only by helping Ukraine win can we prevent further deterrence failures.

If we help Ukraine prevail, we can rewrite the narrative of U.S. weakness; restore deterrence with China; strike a blow against the Sino-Russian alliance; decimate the Russian threat to Europe; increase burden-sharing with our allies; improve our military preparedness for other adversaries; stop a global nuclear arms race; dissuade other nuclear states from launching wars of aggression; and make World War III less likely.

The “America First” conclusion: Helping Ukraine is a supreme national interest.

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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.

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A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has been accompanied by a ferocious battle of disinformation, waged in particular by pro-Russian agitators seeking to distort and shift the blame for many atrocities on the ground. They have sought to depict the Ukrainian side as Nazis or suggest that Western support for Kyiv is evaporating. Here are some of the main narratives, false or misleading, that have been fact-checked over the past year by AFP's digital verification teams.

Read MoreA year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine

A year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine | Fact Check

The war in Ukraine has been accompanied by a ferocious battle of disinformation, waged in particular by pro-Russian agitators seeking to distort and shift the blame for many atrocities on the ground. They have sought to depict the Ukrainian side as Nazis or suggest that Western support for Kyiv is evaporating. Here are some of the main narratives, false or misleading, that have been fact-checked over the past year by AFP's digital verification teams.

Read MoreA year of disinformation around the war in Ukraine | Fact Check

Manipulation: Massive German Protests Against Tanks for Ukraine

Russian media are claiming that mass demonstrations took place in Munich against German tank supplies to Ukraine. This is a manipulation of a demonstration against something completely different. In the video from the Munich demonstration, there is not a single sign against Germany sending tanks to Ukraine. Such demonstrations, organized by the group München steht auf, are held regularly in the Bavarian capital, usually on Wednesdays. München steht auf is a group that advocates for a world without weapons, they are against vaccinations, against measures for coronavirus containment, and against the German government. The protesters are so-called Querdenkers - "dissenters." During the coronavirus pandemic, they often disseminated fakes about COVID-19, "harmful vaccinations", chipping, 5G radiation, and airplane vapor trails conspiracy theories.

Read MoreManipulation: Massive German Protests Against Tanks for Ukraine