Category USA

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

FACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Blame Americans For Interfering With Their Own Democracy? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False The video was created by the non-partisan anti-corruption organization, RepresentUs. A spokesperson for the organization confirmed the footage of Putin included in the video was not real.
Read MoreFACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Blame Americans For Interfering With Their Own Democracy? | Check Your Fact

No, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

This claim is inaccurate. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a U.S. Defense Department arm that works to deter attacks and emerging threats, in November 2019 awarded a contract for non-COVID-19 training support in Ukraine, the agency said. An agency spokesperson said the contract's description was modified in 2020, months after the virus emerged, to focus on COVID-19 research. The Defense Department typically modifies contracts over time to address emerging needs. The Defense Department did not pay for COVID-19 research in Ukraine before the virus emerged. We rate this claim False.
Read MoreNo, Defense Department didn’t award COVID-19 contract in Ukraine before virus emerged

FACT CHECK: Did The Leaked Pentagon Documents Show Ukraine Suffered 71,000 Dead? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False The claim is based on an altered document. The original document shows that the United States allegedly estimated Ukraine has suffered around 15,500 to 17,000 deaths, not 71,000.
Read MoreFACT CHECK: Did The Leaked Pentagon Documents Show Ukraine Suffered 71,000 Dead? | Check Your Fact
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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Marjorie Taylor Greene distorts Zelenskyy’s comments about sending US troops to war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not say this. During a February press conference, Zelenskyy predicted that if Ukraine loses the war, Russia will then invade a country that's a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member, forcing the U.S. to defend its allies. Ukraine borders four NATO member countries, but it is not part of the military alliance. Their ruling: Greene claimed that Zelenskyy said he wants America's "sons and daughters to go die in Ukraine." Zelenskyy did not say that. During a press conference, he predicted that if Ukraine loses the war, Russia will invade a NATO member country next. If that happens, Zelenskyy said, Americans would be required to "send their sons and daughters" to war because of NATO's mutual defense treaty. He did not mention U.S. troops going to Ukraine. We rate this claim False.
Read MoreMarjorie Taylor Greene distorts Zelenskyy’s comments about sending US troops to war

Zelenskyy wasn’t talking about Ukraine war when he said U.S. would send ‘sons and daughters’

A video clip of Ukraine's president is going viral, with some on social media claiming Zelenskyy said the U.S. would send soldiers to fight in Ukraine. That's false.
Read MoreZelenskyy wasn’t talking about Ukraine war when he said U.S. would send ‘sons and daughters’
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
Did Zelensky Say U.S. Will Send Its Kids to War for Ukraine?

Did Zelensky Say U.S. Will Send Its Kids to War for Ukraine?

Misleading Material. The clip was removed from its important and clarifying context, giving a misleading impression of what Zelensky said. The Ukrainian leader's remarks were a hypothetical answer about what could happen should Ukraine lose the war to Russia, partially due to decreased support from the United States. [...] Zelensky did not suggest that Americans should send their children to fight now for Ukraine against Russian forces.
Read MoreDid Zelensky Say U.S. Will Send Its Kids to War for Ukraine?