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.
The claim that the LA Fire Department (LAFD) was impacted in its ability to fight the recent wildfires due to its donations to Ukraine was also promoted by writer and entrepreneur John LeFevre (archived here), who linked donations to Ukraine to current resource shortages.
In March 2022, during the early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fire departments across California, including Los Angeles County, donated some surplus equipment sitting in storage, including hoses, nozzles, helmets, gloves, boots, and other personal protective gear, as well as medical supplies. The donation did not include any critical equipment or heavy machinery.
There is no suggestion that the previous donations to Ukraine have impacted this particular situation.
During a Nov. 5, 2023, interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" program, Zelenskyy did say: "If you can't give us some financial support [...] give us a credit, and we will give you back money after the war." However, he did not ask for a loan, which is different from asking for a line of credit.
Claim: Country music star couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood once recorded a video to ask people to donate money to help Ukraine's relief efforts following Russia's invasion of the country.
Rating: True
Ukrainian journalists have not published any investigations regarding the ICEYE satellite purchased by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation through donations from Ukrainians. Satellites for television signal transmission and the ICEYE operate in different orbits and serve different purposes.
Russian media claims that humanitarian agencies killed civilians and looted in Soledar are based on one "interview" with an alleged Soledar resident, an interview which is not supported by any other evidence. The Donetsk Region police have not documented any criminal actions against residents involving international or Ukrainian volunteers.
No, there isn't any evidence that FTX laundered U.S. aid money sent to Ukraine back to Democratic lawmakers.
FTX, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, announced on Nov. 11 it had filed for bankruptcy. Sam Bankman-Fried resigned as the company's CEO. He is a large donor to Democrats, but has also given to Republicans.
FTX partnered with a fundraising site called Aid for Ukraine, where people can donate cryptocurrency to help the country's war effort. FTX's role in the project was to facilitate the conversion of cryptocurrency into regular currency.
There's no evidence that U.S. aid money sent to Ukraine was then used to invest in FTX. Most U.S. aid doesn't go directly to the Ukrainian government, but rather through third parties like contractors or humanitarian groups.
Our ruling
An Instagram post claimed that U.S. aid money sent to Ukraine is being funneled back in the form of campaign contributions to Democrats through the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
FTX's former CEO was a large donor to Democrats, but has also given to Republicans. The company's connection to Ukraine was partnering with a fundraising site called Aid to Ukraine that allows people to donate cryptocurrency for the country's war effort. That money was then transferred to the Ukrainian government, not the other way around.
There is no evidence to support the claim. We rate this False.
Update, Nov. 16, 2022: This story was updated to include statements from the U.S. State Department, the United States Agency for International Development and Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation that were received after publication. It also clarifies the job title for Alex Bornyakov. The rating is unchanged.
A screenshot of CNN footage has been shared on social media alongside the claim that the channel falsified coverage of a fire in Ukraine, with the name "Edmonton" on a firefighter's jacket cited as evidence. But the footage shows the aftermath of strikes in the city of Lviv, and the jacket was donated by a Canadian non-profit, the organization and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services say.
Multiple megachurches around the United States have been raising funds to help Ukrainians during Russia's invasion.
Gateway Church, another megachurch in Texas, has set up a crisis relief fund to support people in Ukraine and the surrounding region.
Saddleback Church, a megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, has an advance relief team connecting with local pastors in Ukraine and Poland who are caring for hundreds of Ukrainian refugees. The church's website features ways people can help and has provided multiple updates on its efforts in the region.
The Rock Church, a megachurch in San Diego, California, is directing people to its partner organization, Crisis Response International, and told PolitiFact that it's in the process of establishing a Ukraine relief fund.
Crossroads Church, an Ohio-based megachurch, partners with humanitarian and disaster relief organizations Convoy of Hope and World Vision, which both have operations on the ground in Ukraine.
Other church networks, like the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Catholic Relief Services, are collecting donations and deploying staff and resources.
We rate posts that say no megachurches are raising money for Ukraine relief False.
