Latest fact checks & sources

Claim: Former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa wrote a letter to Donald Trump criticizing the U.S. President’s decision to suspend the delivery of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine. Rating: True

Claim: A photograph authentically showed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and first lady Olena Zelenska posing in front of stacks of money. Rating: Fake

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: Volodymyr Zelenskyy wore a suit while meeting Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Schwab, but opted for a non-formal sweatshirt during his visit to the Oval Office. Fact: Photos of Zelenskyy with Macron and Schwab were taken prior to the Russian invasion of February 2022.

Mark Cancian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, told us in an email that “Trump’s citation of $350 billion is double what Congress has appropriated.” Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Congress has passed five spending bills to provide support to Ukraine, totaling about $174.2 billion, as we’ve explained before in fact-checking this and other claims Trump has made about Ukraine and Zelenskky. Each of those five measures passed with bipartisan support. […] As for Trump’s claim that Europe provided its aid to Ukraine in the “form of a loan, they get their money back,” that’s an exaggeration. Only a portion of European aid is in the form of loans.

A viral video is circulating on social media in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is allegedly caught on camera calling JD Vance a “bitch” during Friday’s unprecedented diplomatic row at the White House. Also, how many times has Zelensky thanked the United States for its support? We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

There is no evidence that such a meal has actually appeared in Ukraine. The original source of this claim is the Telegram channel of Yulia Vityazeva, the former host of the Russian propaganda programme Solovyov Live. In addition, there is no mention of this dish in any credible source, and the name of the restaurant remains unknown. Furthermore, digital analysis of the image’s flaws suggests that it was most likely artificially generated or altered. All of this suggests that the information is false.

A screenshot from a bookmaker’s website that is being circulated online has been edited.

There is no such word in the dictionary. The screenshot that is being shared online was edited.

This information is fake, as the Wall Street Journal never published such an article, and the screenshot circulating online is a fake.

UNITED24 did not report such information, and neither did any other credible source.

[T]he audio of the available recording of the meeting was not clear enough to prove without doubt what Zelenskyy said, other than that it began with an “s” sound. In other words, it’s possible the Ukrainian president said “suka” – Ukrainian for “b****” – or a term including the word, but it’s also possible that he said something completely different.

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.

Claim: Ukraine was caught faking combat scenes to ask for more money from the US. Fact: This video does not show Ukrainian soldiers creating fake combat scenes. It’s a behind-the-scenes shot from a music video.

UNITED24 did not report such information, and neither did any other credible source.

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.

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.

A fabricated audio clip is going viral on social media, in which Donald Trump Jr. allegedly voices his support for Russia on his “Triggered with Don Jr.” podcast. In the clip, US President Donald Trump’s son appears to say that “the US should have sent weapons to Russia, not Ukraine”. We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake.

A post shared on X claims to show Russians ambushing American fighters in Ukraine. Verdict: False The video originates from an airsoft creator. There is no indication it was taken in Ukraine.

– Vance: Zelenskyy has not said, “Thank you” to the United States for its support of Ukraine. – Vance: Zelenskyy “went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October.” – Trump: “We gave you $350 billion.”