The town of Lielvārde in Latvia has attracted attention from social media users after images and video of its Christmas tree - decorated with swastikas - were posted online. Internet users were quick to condemn the move as "fascist" and "pro-Nazi" - but is all as it seems? We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake with Vedika Bahl.
Some Instagram and Twitter accounts are posting a graffiti image that's allegedly appearing in Paris and Poland of President Volodymyr Zelensky, represented as a money-sucking black hole. Russian media was quick to share the alleged street art, claiming that "taxpayers from Europe are increasingly dissatisfied with supporting Ukraine". We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.
Did graffiti depicting the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a black hole "absorbing European money" really appear on the streets of a Paris suburb? That's what a photo that has been circulating on social media since November 29 seems to show. However, our team found no trace of this graffiti at the actual site. Our forensic analysis of the photo shows signs that it was digitally altered. We also consulted some street art experts, who pointed out some inconsistencies in the art.
The Budapest Memorandum, signed in December 1994, resulted in Ukraine voluntarily handing over its nuclear arsenal, as well as other military stocks and munitions, to Russia.
In exchange, Moscow vowed to respect Ukraine's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
The U.S. and the U.K. were among the co-signatories, but stopped short of providing "guarantees" (which would have entailed a direct military intervention) and instead offered "assurances," a term that left some wiggle room for a response to potential aggression from Moscow.
The Al Jazeera news network has denied broadcasting a video claiming Ukrainian fans were arrested in Qatar for adding Nazi graffiti to a picture of the World Cup 2022 mascot. The channel added that its logos had been used without its permission. No such arrest has been announced by the Qatari authorities and Ukraine did not even qualify for this year's football tournament. Additionally, many of the images visible in the clip - which repeats the Russian narrative that Ukraine is under the sway of Nazi ideology - are taken from events unrelated to the global competition.
Russian propagandists are constantly saying Ukraine is full of Nazis, and posting alleged evidence online. DW's fact-checking team has investigated some of this supposed evidence.
When asked whether Republicans would “make it more difficult” for Congress to approve Ukrainian aid, Rep. Mike Turner criticized the $40 billion package enacted in May, saying: “We don’t need to pass $40 billion large Democrat bills ... to send $8 billion to Ukraine.” Much more than that, however, was allocated for military support.
Since February, several Facebook and Twitter accounts versed in disinformation have been regularly sharing impressive videos purporting to show the war in Ukraine. But these viral images actually come from a video game called Arma 3. How can you spot these realistic spoofs that have even fooled international media? In this episode, the Truth or Fake team asks Pavel KÅižka, representative of Bohemia Interactive, the company that developed Arma 3.
According to the most recent weekly data, the cost of a gallon of gasoline is $3.53. That's exactly the same as it was just days before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Our ruling
Biden said, "Gas prices are down back to where they were before Russia invaded Ukraine."
Gas prices didn't start increasing with the onset of the war, but the most recent weekly price data shows the cost of a gallon of gasoline at $3.53, which is exactly the same as it was just days before Russia invaded Ukraine.
We rate the statement True.
Has the entire Ukrainian territory been plunged into darkness due to Russian bombing? That's what some people on social networks have been saying since November 23, while sharing what appears to be an aerial photograph of Europe. While millions of Ukrainians have indeed lost power, this image has been manipulated using a photo that dates back to 2012.