Category Narratives

Zelenskyy met with Democrats – and Republicans – before his meeting with Trump

Claim: On Feb. 28, 2025, before a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Democrats who convinced him to reject a deal that would allow the U.S. to exploit minerals in Ukraine in exchange for U.S. support in Ukraine's war with Russia.

Rating: Mixture.

What's True: Zelenskyy did meet with Democratic U.S. senators ...
What's False: ... but that meeting also included at least three Republican senators. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, emphatically rejected claims that the Democrats of the U.S. Senate delegation had dissuaded Zelenskyy from taking the minerals deal. Further, Zelenskyy confirmed to reporters two days after the meeting that his country was ready to accept the deal.

Read MoreZelenskyy met with Democrats – and Republicans – before his meeting with Trump

Report claiming US paid Time magazine to honor Zelensky is fake

A video with millions of engagements on X purports to show a New York Post video reporting that the US government's humanitarian agency paid Time $4 million to feature Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on its magazine cover as its 2022 Person of the Year. But the supposed report is fake, and the claims it makes are inaccurate, according to the New York Post and Time.

Read MoreReport claiming US paid Time magazine to honor Zelensky is fake

No, Zelensky hasn’t bought Eagle’s Nest, it is still in ownership of Bavarian state

Russia's war against Ukraine is not only a military confrontation, but Moscow is also deliberately targetting the Ukrainian president with disinformation and narratives that seek to discredit him. In early February 2025, posts on social media falsely claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky had purchased a property known as the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden in the southern German state of Bavaria. However, the site -- which was closely associated with the Nazis during World War II and is a popular tourist destination even today -- is still owned by the state authorities. Furthermore, the false claims seem to have originated from a Russian disinformation network.

Read MoreNo, Zelensky hasn’t bought Eagle’s Nest, it is still in ownership of Bavarian state

Trump rift opens floodgates of disinformation on Ukraine

Disinformation targeting Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelensky is surging as US President Donald Trump's shift on the war frays relations with Kyiv and threatens to cripple support for the battle-worn nation. [...]

Joseph Bodnar, a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (archived here), said the Russian influence efforts are focused "on fostering animosity between the Trump and Zelensky administrations."

"Russia wants to convince US negotiators that Ukraine is their enemy, not their partner. It's a means for the Kremlin to extract favorable terms in whatever peace settlement comes."

Read MoreTrump rift opens floodgates of disinformation on Ukraine

Trump says Ukraine started the war that’s killing its citizens. What are the facts?

Did Ukraine start its war with Russia, as President Donald Trump said? No, Russia invaded

Media outlets worldwide covered Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged it as a "special military operation," saying the offensive would "seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine."

For years, Russia has sought to blame Ukrainian actions for its invasion.

Read MoreTrump says Ukraine started the war that’s killing its citizens. What are the facts?

How much U.S. aid went to Ukraine? Detangling Trump, Zelensky’s claims. – The Washington Post

In his remarks, Zelensky went on to say that he knew a large part of U.S. aid came not in direct funds but in the forms of weapons, training, humanitarian programs and in other areas. He said: “I don’t know where all this money is.”

Trump appeared to take the comment as an admission that the money was lost. But while Zelensky said he did not know exactly how it was spent, his understanding appeared to comport with U.S. accounting that shows a large share went to activities carried out to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including within the United States.

Read MoreHow much U.S. aid went to Ukraine? Detangling Trump, Zelensky’s claims. – The Washington Post

Fact Check: Did the US Give $350B to Ukraine, as Trump Claims?

False.

Tracking of Congressional spending on Ukraine shows it has appropriated nearly $183 billion since Russia's invasion. Analysis has shown that some of this funding ends up back in the United States, to restock weapons and defense supplies domestically that the U.S. has given to Kyiv. Some funding has not gone directly to Ukraine but to NATO defense partners.

Read MoreFact Check: Did the US Give $350B to Ukraine, as Trump Claims?

Fact Check: Did JD Vance Say US ‘Military Action’ Available Against Russia?

True.

JD Vance did say that "military tools of leverage" could be used if Moscow did not cooperate with the terms of a negotiation that ended fighting between Russia and Ukraine. He did rule out U.S. deployment, saying "the president is very clear that whenever he walks into negotiation, everything is on the table."

While Vance claimed his words were "twisted," a full transcript shows he did not rule out military action.

Read MoreFact Check: Did JD Vance Say US ‘Military Action’ Available Against Russia?