Category Putin

Fake Zakharova: Ukrainians Want to See Putin as Their President

Russian claims that Ukrainians would like a president like Vladimir Putin are false. After Russia's occupation and annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of hostilities in Donbas in 2014, Putin's standing among Ukrainians plummeted and reached a minimum after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Read MoreFake Zakharova: Ukrainians Want to See Putin as Their President

Fake: EU Asks Russia to Lower Grain Price for the Sake of “Fair Competition”

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Josep Borrell did not ask Russia to lower the price of grain for the sake
of "fair competition". In public speeches, the diplomat has said Russia is
causing a global food crisis and that Moscow's actions would lead to a
global rise in prices.

Read MoreFake: EU Asks Russia to Lower Grain Price for the Sake of “Fair Competition”

Fake: Russia Has Never Used Cluster Bombs Against Ukraine

Numerous reports from international human rights organizations prove that
since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has
regularly deployed cluster bombs against Ukrainian civilians and Ukrainian
civilian infrastructure. One such cluster munitions attack was the April
8, 2022, Russian missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station, which
killed at least 58 civilians and injured some 100 people.

Read MoreFake: Russia Has Never Used Cluster Bombs Against Ukraine

FACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Collapse After Suffering A Heart Attack? | Check Your Fact

Verdict: False
The screenshot appears to be digitally fabricated, as the headline neither appears on the outlet’s website nor its social media accounts. A reverse image search reveals the photos were created using artificial intelligence (AI).

Read MoreFACT CHECK: Did Vladimir Putin Collapse After Suffering A Heart Attack? | Check Your Fact

Manipulation: Zelensky Talking the Pope Out of Negotiations and Peace

The New York Times article does not claim that Ukraine opposes peace and negotiations. On the contrary, it emphasizes that the main topic of the meeting between President Zelenskyi and the Pope was precisely the Peace Formula - the Ukrainian scenario for the end of the war. At the same time, Zelenskyi really considers the negotiations with Putin meaningless.

Read MoreManipulation: Zelensky Talking the Pope Out of Negotiations and Peace

Putin didn’t ‘shut down’ all Russian oil to the U.S. It’s already banned.

This isn't accurate. The U.S. banned all imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal in March 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
A caption on an April 26 viral Facebook video claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin "just SHUTDOWN All Oil To The US, Collapsing The US Economy!"

Oil prices have dropped in recent days, but market experts credit that largely to weak demand and economic jitters over banking. This is the opposite of what would be expected with prices if this claim were accurate.

It's not. This claim is Pants on Fire!

Read MorePutin didn’t ‘shut down’ all Russian oil to the U.S. It’s already banned.

No, Russian president Vladimir Putin did not wish former South African president Jacob Zuma happy birthday – Africa Check

Much has been made of the South African government's close ties to Russia following news that the country will host Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2023. But images suggesting Putin congratulated former president Jacob Zuma on his birthday - on live TV - are fabricated.

Read MoreNo, Russian president Vladimir Putin did not wish former South African president Jacob Zuma happy birthday – Africa Check

Did Vladimir Putin really defy his arrest order to travel to South Africa? In short, nope

Did Vladimir Putin recently go to South Africa, defying the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court? That's the claim made by at least two videos that have been shared thousands of times on TikTok and Facebook since late March. This footage, however, is old and doesn't in any way prove that Putin has recently travelled to South Africa.

Read MoreDid Vladimir Putin really defy his arrest order to travel to South Africa? In short, nope

Fake: US Permits Ukraine to Strike Russia’s New Territories

This information is fake. The White House did not permit Ukraine to strike Russian territory. On the contrary, the White House's National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby stated that the US does not 'enable or encourage' the Ukrainian Forces to strike outside Ukraine and will only assist the Ukrainian Forces in liberating their territories. Moreover, there are no new Russian territories, only the Ukrainian territories illegally occupied and annexed by Russia.

Read MoreFake: US Permits Ukraine to Strike Russia’s New Territories