A TikTok user posted a video claiming to show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insulting United States President Donald Trump during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 1. It turns out, however, that Zelensky didn't insult Trump - the video has been manipulated.
Waterhouse did not make the off-the-cuff remark in the original footage of the broadcast, which BBC News posted to its official YouTube channel on March 1, the day it originally aired. In other words, versions of the video that included Waterhouse allegedly saying "this is the second time ever that a U.S. president f***ed someone in the Oval Office" were doctored to misrepresent reality. As a result, we've rated the claim fake.
Does a video authentically show climbers hoisting a Ukrainian flag on the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York? No, that's not true: The video was created using AI, according to the caption added by the account that originally posted it. The torch held by the statue in the video looks markedly different from the one held by the actual Statue of Liberty in New York.
Did a video clip shared to X authentically show a BBC reporter joking the February 28, 2025 Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump was " ... the second time that a U.S. president f***ed someone in the Oval Office." ? No, that's not true: The audio was generated using artificial intelligence. The original newscast did not include any such remark and the reporter has publicly dismissed its authenticity.
Claim: The video shows the current situation in London after UK PM Keir Starmer announces his support for Ukraine
Fact: The claim is false. The video is from 2021 and is unrelated to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy did say, "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, he was talking about a hypothetical situation in which Ukraine losing the war against Russia would lead to a broader conflict resulting in Americans being pulled into fighting. He made this statement in February 2023, two years before the exchange with Trump took place.
Verdict: False.
The video shows a behind-the-scenes look at a music video for a song called "Brothers" by Misha Scorpion and Vitsik, not Ukrainian soldiers "faking combat."
However, Zelenskyy did not use any expletives about Trump when speaking to journalists during the walk from his motorcade to greet Starmer. The claim is false. Further, the video exhibited potential signs that its originator used an artificial-intelligence tool to create many of its elements.
An unedited video (archived) showing the same moment featured an unidentified reporter asking, "Mr. President, how was the trip? How do you feel?," and Zelenskyy responding, "Ok. Thank you so much."
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.
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.