Category Volodymyr Zelensky

FACT CHECK: USAID Didn’t Pay Time Magazine To Name Zelenskyy Time Person Of The Year

A post shared on Facebook claims the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) paid Time Magazine to name President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Time Person of the Year.

Verdict: False.
There is no evidence for this claim.

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Misleading Video of Zelenskyy Saying the U.S. To ‘Send Their Sons and Daughters to War’

Misbar investigated the viral video and found the claim to be misleading.

Zelenskyy Saying U.S. Will Send 'Sons and Daughters to War' Is Miscaptioned

Contrary to social media users' viral claim, the video is miscaptioned and does not feature a recent statement from Ukraine's Zelenskyy following a heated meeting with Trump on February 28. [...]

Zelenskyy stated, "The U.S. will have to send their sons and daughters exactly the same way as we are sending [our] sons and daughters to war."

However, Zelenskyy was referring to a hypothetical scenario where Ukraine's defeat could trigger a wider conflict, forcing the U.S. to intervene as a NATO member.

Read MoreMisleading Video of Zelenskyy Saying the U.S. To ‘Send Their Sons and Daughters to War’

The Real Reason Zelenskyy Doesn’t Wear a Suit

But the criticism of Zelenskyy's lack of traditional tie-and-jacket attire misses an obvious question: Why does he dress like that? As it turns out, the black tactical gear he wore to the Oval Office - much like his now-iconic olive-green fleeces and combat boots - is part of a growing visual shift in Ukraine, marked by the war's impact on the clothing industry and the military's now central place in Ukrainian culture.

I spoke to Illia Ponomarenko - a Ukrainian journalist who has covered the war, written for the Kyiv Post and The Kyiv Independent and authored I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv - about the real meaning behind Zelenskyy's style. "The clothes are more than clothes," he said. "They are part of a culture of people who are involved in this war."

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Grok Neural Network Shows Handcuffed Zelensky Behind Bars in Times Square

The New York Times never published this video, and its real existence has not been confirmed online, despite the claim that it was shown in New York city centre. The footage shown in the video does not match the indicated text prompt, which alludes to editing. In addition, the video first appeared on a pro-Russian Telegram channel and was shared exclusively though propaganda sources, which confirms its fake origin.

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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."

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Zelenskyy did not block Truth Social in Ukraine | Snopes.com

The claim was false. Truth Social has never been made available in Ukraine. When the app first launched in February 2022, it was available only in the U.S. and Canada. According to a March 2024 report by Ukrainian media watchdog Detector Media, the platform's reach still remains limited to a few countries.

Read MoreZelenskyy did not block Truth Social in Ukraine | Snopes.com