What was claimed: A video shows the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, calling Vladimir Putin a "butcher" and commenting on his "war crimes" during a press conference with US president Donald Trump.
Our verdict: This isn't quite right. Mr Macron referred to killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and mentioned war crimes, but did not describe President Putin as a "butcher".
Conclusion: European military outmatches Russian in key areas, with 1.47 million personnel, 367,760 armored vehicles and over 2,000 warships, including six aircraft carriers. France, Germany and Britain are increasing defense spending, while Russia struggles with losses, outdated stockpiles, and sanctions-limited weapons production.
The claim, shared across Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived) and X (archived) in the form of an image, read:
The President of Ukraine owns a 35 million dollar home in Florida and has $1.2 billion in a overseas bank account. Zelensky owns 15 homes, 3 private planes, and has a monthly income of 11 million dollars. Why is no one questioning where our AID is going?
However, there was no proof of any of the claims shared within the image.
We take a look at the viral claims made by President Trump and others about Ukraine over the last two weeks.
The video was digitally created, likely using AI-powered software to generate synthetic audio mimicking Trump Jr.'s voice.
Russia's war against Ukraine is not only a military confrontation, but Moscow is also deliberately targetting the Ukrainian president with disinformation and narratives that seek to discredit him. In early February 2025, posts on social media falsely claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky had purchased a property known as the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden in the southern German state of Bavaria. However, the site -- which was closely associated with the Nazis during World War II and is a popular tourist destination even today -- is still owned by the state authorities. Furthermore, the false claims seem to have originated from a Russian disinformation network.
Audio purportedly of Donald Trump Jr using his podcast to say the United States should have sent weapons to Russia instead of Ukraine is spreading widely online, with an official Democratic National Committee account among those that shared and deleted it. But the clip is fake, spokesmen for the US president's son and video platform Rumble told AFP. A media forensics expert said the quote -- which is not in the original episode -- appears to be the product of artificial intelligence technology. [...]
"The audio in question, which was amplified by the official X account of the DNC, along with countless other major anti-Trump accounts, is 100 percent fake," a Trump Jr spokesman told AFP in a February 26 statement. "It appears to be an AI-generated deep fake."
Disinformation targeting Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelensky is surging as US President Donald Trump's shift on the war frays relations with Kyiv and threatens to cripple support for the battle-worn nation. [...]
Joseph Bodnar, a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (archived here), said the Russian influence efforts are focused "on fostering animosity between the Trump and Zelensky administrations."
"Russia wants to convince US negotiators that Ukraine is their enemy, not their partner. It's a means for the Kremlin to extract favorable terms in whatever peace settlement comes."
In mid-February 2025, Donald Trump multiplied his attacks against Volodymyr Zelensky, branding the Ukrainian president a "dictator without elections," questioning the use of American aid to Ukraine, and accusing him of "starting" the war. Here is a look back at these statements, which were false, misleading or unsubstantiated according to AFP's analysis, revealing unprecedented tensions between Washington and Kyiv.
While the project confirmed over 95,000 deaths since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the true death toll is believed to be much higher. Military analysts consulted by researchers estimated that the list likely represents only 45% to 65% of Russia's total casualties.
