Category Fact checks / debunkings

Tucker Carlson Misrepresents Defense Secretary’s Remarks on U.S. Troops, Ukraine Aid

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III reportedly told House members that failure to provide more aid for Ukraine could lead to Russia's invasion of a NATO ally and a direct U.S. military response in accordance with the NATO treaty. A viral post by Tucker Carlson misleadingly omits Austin's explanation of why U.S. troops might be required.

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Fake: Ukraine Recognizes a Person With One Leg As Fit for Military Service

A person with an amputated leg was never considered fit for military service. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, a person with a diagnosis of "unilateral amputated stump of the lower limb above the level of the upper third of the lower leg" is unfit for military service. In a comment to StopFake, a territorial center of recruitment and social support representative said that the document looks like a fake.

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Fake: Ukraine Arrests and Tortures American Blogger Gonzalo Lira “For Criticizing Zelenskyi”

Blogger Gonzalo Lira is in custody not for criticizing Volodymyr Zelenskyi, but for violating Article 436-2 of Ukraine's Criminal Code - justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine. In particular, Lira publicly justified Russia's attack on Ukraine, denied Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and mass killings of civilians in Bucha and other cities, revealed the location and identities of Western journalists and the Ukrainian military. Additionally, there is no evidence that any torture was used against Gonzalo Lira.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine Arrests and Tortures American Blogger Gonzalo Lira “For Criticizing Zelenskyi”

Fake: Ukrainian Government Tried to Sell Scythian Gold at Sotheby’s – Bloomberg

This news is fake, and the story of the attempted sale of Scythian gold is made up. Bloomberg did not publish such stories either on its website or in its social media. Currently, the archaeological objects known as Scythian gold from Crimea, returned to Ukraine from the Netherlands, are under close guard at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.

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Video Fake: Ukrainian Military Leaving Their Positions in Bilohorivka

The video was most likely edited. There is a discrepancy between the facial expressions of the man and the words he is saying. In addition, the landscape and weather conditions depicted in the video suggest that the original video was filmed before winter began. Additionally, the press service of the 119th separate brigade of the Military Police in the Chernihiv region stated that the person in the video does not serve in their unit.

Read MoreVideo Fake: Ukrainian Military Leaving Their Positions in Bilohorivka

Fake: German Defense Minister Refuses to Consider Ukraine an Ally

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius did not say that Ukraine is not an ally of Germany. In an interview with the German TV channel ZDF, he only emphasized that Ukraine is not a NATO partner of Germany and therefore the format of providing it with military aid is different than if the "united West" were directly at war with Russia.

Read MoreFake: German Defense Minister Refuses to Consider Ukraine an Ally

FactChecking the Fourth GOP Primary Debate

Christie derided Ramaswamy's plan for ending Russia's war in Ukraine, saying it would concede to Russia "all the land they've already stolen" and keep Ukraine from joining NATO (although Christie misspoke, saying the plan would keep Ukraine out of Russia). In exchange, Christie said, Ramaswamy would trust Russian President Vladimir Putin "not to have a relationship with China."

Ramaswamy shot back, "That's not my deal."
But it seems to be a mostly accurate synopsis of what Ramaswamy had proposed in June and refers to as the "reasonable peace deal."

Read MoreFactChecking the Fourth GOP Primary Debate

The real story behind claims thar Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelens… | Prestige Yacht | TikTok

The real story behind claims thar Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy used millions in U.S. aid money to buy two yachts. #zelenskyy #ukraine?? #yacht #proxy #usaid #ukrainewar #greenscreen

Read MoreThe real story behind claims thar Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelens… | Prestige Yacht | TikTok

Saving by Spending: The True Value and Cost-Effectiveness of U.S. Aid to Ukraine

While the rising number of billions the United States is spending on aid to Ukraine keeps growing, the cost of aid to Ukraine is almost certain to remain comparatively low when compared to the total cost of U.S. security, is a vital investment in deterring future Russian and Chinese aggression, and is likely to save the United States substantial amounts of national security spending in the future.

Read MoreSaving by Spending: The True Value and Cost-Effectiveness of U.S. Aid to Ukraine