Category Antisemitism

Photo of Zelenskyy holding a jersey with a swastika was altered

This photo was altered. In the original, Zelenskyy is holding a jersey that has the number 95, not a swastika. The original image was distributed by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service in June 2021. According to a caption on Agence France-Presse's website, it shows him "posing with a jersey of Ukraine's national football team." Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has pushed the idea that the effort is one of "denazification," a narrative historians have decried as "false and destructive." We rate claims Zelenskyy was holding a jersey with a swastika False.
Read MorePhoto of Zelenskyy holding a jersey with a swastika was altered

FACT CHECK: No, The Rothschild Family Does Not Own Reuters And The Associated Press | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False There is no evidence the Rothschild family owns Reuters or AP. Reuters is owned by the Thomson Corporation and the AP is a non-profit cooperative formed by various newspapers and broadcasters.
Read MoreFACT CHECK: No, The Rothschild Family Does Not Own Reuters And The Associated Press | Check Your Fact

Putin did not nationalize Russian central bank, and Rothchilds never controlled Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin was not responsible for the nationalization of the Russian centralized bank, which took place in 1917. • The Rothschild family banking business has had an office in Russia since the 1990s, but it has no oversight over the country's currency or monetary policies, which are controlled by the Bank of Russia. • The Rothschild family long has been the target of conspiracy theories, and their wealth is believed to be responsible for inspiring the anti-Semitic trope that Jewish people "control" the world's money. Our ruling A Facebook post says Putin "ended the Rothschild's control over Russia by nationalizing the Russian centralized bank." Putin did not nationalize the Russian centralized bank; that occurred in 1917. Evidence does not support the claim that the Rothschild family had control over Russia. The family's banking business has had an office in Russia since the 1990s ' though it recently suspended operations ' but it has no oversight over the country's currency or monetary policies, which are controlled by the Bank of Russia. We rate this claim False.
Read MorePutin did not nationalize Russian central bank, and Rothchilds never controlled Russia
Zelensky and Soros Aren’t Cousins, Contrary to Social Media Claim

Zelensky and Soros Aren’t Cousins, Contrary to Social Media Claim

Conspiracy theories aimed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been circulating on social media since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. One recent example, falsely attributed to a “Pentagon official,” is the unfounded claim that Zelensky is the cousin of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
Read MoreZelensky and Soros Aren’t Cousins, Contrary to Social Media Claim

No, Zelenskyy and Soros are not cousins

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and billionaire philanthropist George Soros are not cousins. ​The claim is "entirely false," said a spokesperson for Soros' Open Society Foundations. A viral Facebook post falsely says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and billionaire philanthropist George Soros are related by birth ' one in a series of baseless claims about links between the two. Soros has been at the center of many debunked claims about his connections to Ukraine, including that he wanted to run the country and that he was using the Ukraine "as a playing field to undermine (former President Donald) Trump's campaign," NBC News reported in 2019. More recently, false claims have said that Soros admitted on television that he helped overthrow the former Ukrainian president in order to help Zelenskyy take office. The NBC News story noted that Soros "has long been the target of conspiracy theorists about Jews controlling the world." Soros and Zelenskyy are both Jewish. We rate the claim that Zelenskyy is a cousin of Soros Pants on Fire!
Read MoreNo, Zelenskyy and Soros are not cousins

Rothschild & Co. Has Office in Russia, Contrary to Conspiracy Claim on Social Media

Rothschild & Co. has an office in Moscow and has been operating in Russia since the mid-1990s. Yet posts on social media falsely claim that Russia has barred the Rothschild banking family from doing business in the country. The claim is an adaptation of an old conspiracy theory about the family.
Read MoreRothschild & Co. Has Office in Russia, Contrary to Conspiracy Claim on Social Media

Fact check roundup: What’s true and what’s false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine

False and misleading information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine has spread rapidly on social media since Russian forces launched a military assault in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 24. Here’s a roundup of claims related to the Ukraine-Russia conflict analyzed by the USA TODAY Fact Check team.
Read MoreFact check roundup: What’s true and what’s false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine