Category International community

Estonia Denies Link to Russian Airport Drone Strike

Estonia Denies Link to Russian Airport Drone Strike

There was no reasoning provided for the claims shared online beyond the distance between Estonia's border and Pskov. However, the Estonian government has firmly denied the claims. A statement sent to Newsweek from a spokesman for the Government Office of the Republic of Estonia said: "This is false information."
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Is Ukraine Aid Being Spent on Hiring Sex Workers for Soldiers?

Is Ukraine Aid Being Spent on Hiring Sex Workers for Soldiers?

Kyiv is not spending money hiring sex workers for injured soldiers, as the post on X claims. The post quotes part of a BBC article about a rehabilitative service for Ukrainian soldiers run by a support organization called Veteran Hub. It does not employ sex workers and there is no evidence that funding provided to Ukraine or Ukrainian government spending has been used in this way.
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Joe Rogan Claims U.S. Accidentally Sent $6.2 Billion to Ukraine

Joe Rogan Claims U.S. Accidentally Sent $6.2 Billion to Ukraine

The U.S. did not accidentally send $6.2 billion to Ukraine. An overestimation of the cost of some military hardware meant that $6.2 billion was not spent in the transfer of U.S. stocks to Ukraine. While the DOD has said that this can now be used toward future stock drawdowns authorized by the president, that does not mean $6.2 billion has been sent accidentally, and all that implies, to Ukraine.
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Is RFK Jr. Right That U.S. Has Sent $113 Billion to Ukraine?

Is RFK Jr. Right That U.S. Has Sent $113 Billion to Ukraine?

While Congress has allocated $113 billion worth of spending toward Ukraine, analysis of that spending shows that a significant proportion will not go directly to Kyiv. Analysis by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks U.S. spending in Ukraine, has suggested the total direct spend to be around $77 billion.
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Did RFK Jr. Claim That Ukraine Has Cost U.S. $8 Trillion?

Did RFK Jr. Claim That Ukraine Has Cost U.S. $8 Trillion?

A representative for Kennedy Jr. told Newsweek via email that "the candidate misspoke." They added: "What he meant was that spending on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars totaled $8 trillion. He apologizes for the misstatement." Whatever Kennedy Jr.'s intended message was, the lack of detail does appear to have caused some to believe that the U.S. has spent $8 trillion on Ukraine which is, quite clearly, not correct.
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Did RFK Jr. Use Russian Photo in Campaign Ad?

Did RFK Jr. Use Russian Photo in Campaign Ad?

The photo used in the Kennedy campaign ad is from a picture used to help illustrate designs for online stores. The same retouched photo has been used by multiple online outlets. While Newsweek was unable to find the location of the store, it does appear to have been shot in Russia or a Russian-speaking region. However, there is no suggestion the choice of the photo was deliberate and is far likelier to have been an oversight of the RFK Jr. campaign team. Other photos the campaign has used for its merchandise were also shot in other locations around the world.
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Have U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

Have U.S. Taxpayers Sent Over $200B to Ukraine?

False. Congress has only approved $113 billion for spending in Ukraine. Researchers tracking spending suggest that only around $77 billion has gone directly to Ukraine, a combination of financial, military and other forms of aid. It's not clear where the $200 billion figure has come from. A Fox News report in February 2023 attributed it to a Ukrainian government statement that Newsweek could not find. Another estimate broadcast on Tucker Carlson Tonight the same month was presented without evidence and upon inspection appears dubious.
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Does Video Show U.S. Senator's 'Confessions' to Ukraine Coup?

Does Video Show U.S. Senator’s ‘Confessions’ to Ukraine Coup?

There are a number of misleading elements to this tweet. Firstly, the video is not a "confession" at all. It is footage from an interview with Russian state-funded broadcaster RT. [...] The tweet did not provide the necessary context for readers to be able to judge the significance of the footage, which only contained the opinions of a retired state senator.
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Social Media Posts Misrepresent Zelenskyy’s Remarks on U.S. Military Involvement

Social Media Posts Misrepresent Zelenskyy’s Remarks on U.S. Military Involvement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy predicted that if Russia’s invasion of his country is successful, it will invade nearby NATO countries, triggering a war involving the U.S. military. Some conservative commentators misleadingly claimed that he’d called upon the U.S. to “send their sons and daughters to war for Ukraine and potentially die.”
Read MoreSocial Media Posts Misrepresent Zelenskyy’s Remarks on U.S. Military Involvement