US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in a rift between the two leaders as Kyiv remains locked in a three-year-old war started by a Russian invasion. However, claims that Zelensky retaliated by banning Truth Social are false -- representatives for the social network said it had not launched in Ukraine, and the government there said Trump's platform would be welcome.
Was the social media platform Truth Social blocked in Ukraine by the Ukrainian authorities? No, that's not true: Truth Social and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs's spokesperson denied the claim. Both said that the social media platform was never made available in Ukraine. Lead Stories found no credible reports corroborating the viral rumor.
Is Zelenskyy a dictator who is refusing to hold elections?
Is Zelenskyy running low in the polls?
Has the US spent $350 billion on Ukraine?
Can Ukraine-attached spending explain the gap?
Who has spent more on Ukraine: the USA or Europe?
Open civil society letter: Elections in Ukraine must be held only after sustainable peace is achieved, ensuring a free, fair, and democratic process that reflects the will of the people.
Under the terms of Ukraine's constitution, elections cannot be held while the country is under martial law (which was declared by Mr Zelensky in February 2022 following Russia's invasion, and has been extended multiple times by Ukraine's parliament).
Three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Euroverify has debunked a series of false claims made by US President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy is not a 'dictator' with 4% approval rating
The US does not provide Ukraine with more support than the EU
Russia is deploying significant military resources in Ukraine
Under the terms of Ukraine's constitution, elections cannot be held while the country is under martial law (which was declared by Mr Zelensky in February 2022 following Russia's invasion, and has been extended multiple times by Ukraine's parliament).
Experts have also noted a number of practical obstacles to holding elections - around one-fifth of the country is currently occupied by Russia, millions of Ukrainians are displaced or serving on front lines, and there are security concerns.
While answering reporters' questions about U.S. and Russian representatives meeting in Saudi Arabia without anyone from Ukraine present, the president said, "But today I heard, 'Oh we weren't invited.' Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal."
WMUR's partners at PolitiFact looked into this statement. PolitiFact's Lou Jacobson joins to examine the claims.
Preisdent Donald Trump told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky treated out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “rudely” when he traveled to the capital of Ukraine and didn't even meet with him. But then photos of the two men meeting were posted online, contradicting Trump's story.
