Did Ukraine start its war with Russia, as President Donald Trump said? No, Russia invaded
Media outlets worldwide covered Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged it as a "special military operation," saying the offensive would "seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine."
For years, Russia has sought to blame Ukrainian actions for its invasion.
False.
Audited records of Congressionally appropriated Ukrainian aid show most of what USAID manages is Kyiv's government budget, which funds its public sector workers, social services, pensions, and internally displaced persons.
For the $140 million claim to have been true, USAID would have had to have paid out more to this "Psychological Warfare" center than most of its actual spending obligations.
The image used to support the claim was based on a nonexistent article, edited from a real but unrelated story by Fox News, not about Ukraine. The claim appeared on Russian Telegram accounts before it was spread widely by English-speaking commentators on X, formerly Twitter.
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.
Indeed, can confirm. And I was standing right beside where this photograph was taken. And then I stood 10 feet from both Zelensky and Bessent inside the presidential office again an hour or so later, when they emerged from their meeting to brief a small group of reporters.
After U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump made several false and misleading statements about the conflict and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump falsely claimed that Ukraine had "started" the war with Russia, saying the country could have made a "deal." Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
He inflated the amount of U.S. aid for Ukraine and wrongly said the U.S. gave "$200 billion more than Europe." Aid from Europe is higher than that from the U.S.
Trump distorted comments Zelenskyy made to claim that the Ukrainian president "admits that half of the money that we sent them is missing." A Trump administration official has said the U.S. tracks the money.
Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator" and misleadingly said that he "refuses" to have elections. Because of the war, the country is under martial law and can't have an election, according to Ukrainian law.
Some GOP lawmakers distanced themselves from Trump's statements calling Zelensky a "dictator without elections" and blaming Ukraine for the war
- Claim: Zelenskyy is a 'dictator without elections'
- Claim: The U.S. has spent $350 billion on the war in Ukraine
- Claim: The U.S. has spent $200 billion more than Europe; Europe's money is guaranteed
- Claim: Zelenskyy has a 4% approval rating
- Claim: Ukraine started the war with Russia
- A 'dictator without elections'
- Who started the war?
- US aid to Ukraine
- Europe's aid to Ukraine
- 'Millions' of dead?
As reported before, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived in Kyiv on 12 February to discuss economic partnership with Ukraine and met with Zelenskyy during his visit.
Claim: Zelenskyy started the war in Ukraine with Russia.
Claim: Zelenskyy is a dictator.
Claim: Zelenskyy has a 4% approval rating.
Claim: The U.S. spent $350 billion to help Ukraine.
Claim: Zelenskyy said he doesn't know where half of the money the U.S. has given Ukraine went.
Claim: Zelenskyy was "sleeping and unavailable" to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett during a Feb. 12 Kyiv visit.
