Fact check: Trump’s barrage of lies about Zelensky and Ukraine

In remarks to reporters on Tuesday and in a social media post on Wednesday, Trump made numerous false claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian war on Ukraine – some of which echoed inaccurate talking points from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Here is a fact check of some of his assertions.

Who started the war

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump dismissed Ukraine’s complaints about its exclusion from US-Russia talks on ending the war – and falsely said of Ukraine: “You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal.”

Ukraine did not start the war. Russia started the war by invading Ukraine in 2022. Trump’s own former vice president, Mike Pence, and several Republican lawmakers have noted this obvious fact in the wake of Trump’s lie.

Zelensky’s approval rating

In the same Tuesday remarks, Trump called for a new Ukrainian election – last year’s previously scheduled presidential election was called off because the country is under martial law – and falsely claimed Zelensky is “down at 4% percent approval rating.”

That 4% figure is not even close to accurate.

The latest survey from a leading Ukrainian pollster, conducted earlier this month, found that 57% of Ukrainians said they trusted Zelensky. That was up from 52% in December – and 52% was Zelensky’s lowest wartime figure in this series of trust surveys. In addition, an approval survey conducted from late November to early January found 63% of Ukrainians either approved fully or tended to approve of Zelensky’s actions as president.

Zelensky is gone, he is a war monger and has no interest in finding a peaceful solution and stopping the killing.

Time will tell where he takes Ukraine.

Leroy wrote on Feb 20^th, 2025 at 10:25am:


Why doesn't Russia want Ukraine to join NATO?

greggerypeccary wrote on Feb 20^th, 2025 at 10:27am:


The big fella's right, Greggery. He's always stood for free and fair elections, you know.

All Zalensky needs to do is change the Constitution to allow an election during wartime. Easy-peasy, no?

If he needs any help, he can just ask Vlad.

DEEP STATE !!!

US aid vs. European aid

In both the Tuesday remarks and the Wednesday social media post, Trump returned to his familiar but false claim about a supposedly massive disparity between the amount of Ukraine aid provided by the US and by Europe.

He said Tuesday: “I think Europe has given $100 billion and we’ve given, let’s say, $300-plus (billion).” He wrote Wednesday: “The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe.”

Neither of those statements are accurate.

In fact, according to the Kiel Institute’s data, Europe – the European Union plus individual European countries – had collectively committed far more total wartime military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine through December (about $258 billion) than the US committed (about $124 billion). Europe had also allocated more military, financial and humanitarian aid (about $138 billion) than the US allocated (about $119 billion).

The US did have a slim lead in one particular category, military aid allocated, providing about $67 billion to about $65 billion for Europe. But even that was nowhere close to the giant gulf Trump described.

Leroy wrote on Feb 20^th, 2025 at 10:54am:


Actually, it's a different reason, dear. Vlad doesn't want Ukraine to join NATO because he doesn't want to invade NATO.

You can see why, no? I mean, next time he meddled in a Ukrainian election or seized more Ukrainian territory or bombed another Ukrainian hospital or school, there would be NATO, saying hi there, Vlad.

Look, we'll probably see the US pull out of NATO over the next four years. Resistance to Ukrainian membership would then come down to Hungary and Turkey.

Those two countries have DL's favourite bosses after Vlad and Kim: Viktor Orban and Recep Erdogan. During his first term, Erdogan had DL on speed dial, so do you know?

While DL froths away over invading friends like Canada, his best buddies are the cunts. The post-war era of peace and prosperity is over. Imagine, the most peaceful period in Western history - gone. See how easy it was to do: a few deals here, a couple of threats there and a barrage of lies the likes of which have never been seen before - total fake news domination.

VENGEANCE !!! DISRUPTION !!! MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION !!!

We will make America great again, no?

greggerypeccary wrote on Feb 20^th, 2025 at 11:23am:


We're all entitled to our opinions, Greggery. CNN says this, DL says that, his followers believe what they're told.

Leroy's armed with something no one else has - an exclamation mark.

FAKE NEWS !!!