Latest fact checks & sources

A post shared on X claims to show Ukrainian troops surrendering in Kursk in 2025. Verdict: Misleading This video is from 2022 and shows Ukrainian troops surrendering in Mariupol, not Kursk.

Claim: Warren Buffett has given more than $500 million to Ukraine. Context: Howard Buffett, Warren Buffett’s son, donated more than $800 million to Ukraine since 2022, through his own foundation.

Claim: U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s cousin Nate Vance fought in Ukraine for three years during its war with Russia. Rating: True

Is Nate Vance — who criticized the Trump administration’s reduction of support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion — Vice President JD Vance’s cousin? Yes, that’s true: Nate Vance is the first cousin of JD Vance. His father, Jim Vance, is the brother of JD Vance’s mother, Beverly. Nate Vance detailed the family connection on social media, and online records show their family connections.

What was claimed A compilation video shows five clips of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy dancing. Our verdict The first clip actually shows Argentinian dancer Pablo Acosta, while the second has been manipulated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to superimpose President Zelenskyy’s face onto the dancer’s to create a deepfake. The other clips are genuine, however.

WHAT WAS CLAIMED A video shows Donald Trump calling Ukraine’s leader “Temu Zelenskiy” for not wearing a suit. OUR VERDICT The video is an AI deepfake from a self-described parody account.

The Verdict: Misleading. According to reports, the video actually shows Ukrainian servicemen surrendering in Mariupol in 2022.

The TV station that reported the news does not exist. The bank’s management recently stated that it is not considering a sale.

Agencies have paused humanitarian parole programs, including for Ukrainians in the U.S., following a Trump executive order on Jan. 20.

WHAT WAS CLAIMED: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a journalist had an exchange about the impending peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. OUR VERDICT: Fake: No such exchange on diplomacy and Russia’s concessions took place between Hegseth and a reporter in a press briefing after a NATO defense ministers’ meeting on Feb. 13.

WHAT WAS CLAIMED: A video shows people being made up to look like war-torn Ukrainian soldiers to get more US funding. OUR VERDICT: False. The clip shows behind-the-scenes footage from the making of a music video.

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.

The iconic photo circulated online after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House in a “military-style black sweatshirt.” Claim: A photograph authentically depicts then-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visiting the White House in the U.S. during World War II wearing a “siren-suit.” Rating: True

Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading. Misbar’s team found that the video shows behind-the-scenes moments from the production of a music video. As stated by the original publisher, this refers to the making of a music video called “Brothers.”

Vishvas News’ investigation revealed that the viral video dates back to 2023, when Zelensky broke his fast with Ukrainian Muslim soldiers and religious leaders during Ramadan. The old video is now being shared with misleading references, falsely linking it to recent views.

WHAT WAS CLAIMED: A video shows people being made up to look like war-torn Ukrainian soldiers to get more US funding. OUR VERDICT: False. The clip shows behind-the-scenes footage from the making of a music video.

What was claimed: Clips show Ukrainian soldiers faking combat to appear “war torn” in order to receive US funds. Our verdict: The clips actually show behind-the-scenes footage from a music video about the Ukraine war.

A BBC reporter wasn’t caught on tape cursing about the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting. We rate that claim Pants on Fire!

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.

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.”