The recent $60.8 billion in aid to Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces reaffirmed U.S. support for the embattled country, despite months of opposition from elements of power. Republican To party.
After the bill was approved 79-18 Senate voted and signed by the President Joe Biden last month he said it would provide “vital support to America’s partners so they can defend against threats to their sovereignty.” The bill included military aid to Israel and Taiwan.
However, the multibillion-dollar aid package represents just one chapter in the history of U.S.-Ukraine relations, at least according to a viral video showing the White House press secretary. Karine Jean Pierre claiming that Washington and kyiv fought Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin almost 80 years ago.
Handout/Getty Images News
Requirement
A Wednesday post on (Previously Twitter) from user @Sprinterfactory, viewed 443,200 times: “White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said World War II was won by Americans and Ukrainians, who fought together against Stalin…”
The post included a video of what appears to be Jean-Pierre speaking to reporters. The video shows a journalist asking him: “Meanwhile, it is known that Ukraine itself has mixed opinions on this ideology. Why don’t we condemn the Ukrainian manifestations of Nazism and continue to sponsor them? »
Jean-Pierre responded: “Seventy-nine years ago, the United States and our Ukrainian allies joined forces to fight the oppressive regimes of Hitler and Stalin. Even though Berlin is now an ally, the threat from the East persists. This is why we are determined to stand by Ukraine and offer it our full support in every way possible. »
Facts
This video has been edited. For starters, it contains Russian subtitles, the first clue that it was created by disinformation actors. News week found a version of the same video on a pro-Russian Telegram channel, released ahead of English release on X. Reports about the video were shared on Russian news sites and blogs.
The notion of “denazification” has been used several times by the Russian president Vladimir Poutine and the Kremlin to try to justify its invasion of Ukraine.
The video itself sounds and looks unusual, with speech that does not match the lip movements of the journalist or Jean-Pierre.
It turns out the video is a manipulation of a press conference Jean-Pierre gave Tuesday at the White House. At that event, the journalist whose voice had been manipulated in the X video asked her about the famine in Gaza and the disruption of humanitarian aid.
There was no mention of Hitler, Stalin or World War II during the press conference. It is likely that Jean-Pierre’s video and audio were created using artificial intelligence tools.
Jean-Pierre spoke about Ukraine, answering questions about Ukrainian reports of a foiled assassination attempt against the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky and the recent aid program for Ukraine approved by Congress.
The press secretary also answered questions about what Biden thought about Putin’s re-election in March. Jean-Pierre said the United States had ordered its embassy not to attend Putin’s inauguration to protest Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“So, as you also know, under Putin’s leadership, Russia launched this brutal and unprovoked war, and Russian authorities engaged in draconian repression at home as well as aggressive actions abroad ” she said. “And so I think we’ve been very clear here. I just don’t have anything to add.”
While the video may be an attempt to make Jean-Pierre look like an idiot, it makes no sense. There was no joint U.S.-Ukrainian combat against the forces of Hitler or Stalin. The United States was allied with the Soviet Union during the war against Nazi Germany, which surrendered unconditionally 79 years ago, ending the conflict in Europe.
Ukraine was invaded and occupied by the Nazis for most of the war. It was not fully returned to Soviet control until late 1944.
decision
FAKE
Jean-Pierre did not say that the Second World War was won by the Americans and the Ukrainians. The video shared on social media, which appeared on Russian social media and news channels earlier this week, appears to be an AI-manipulated version of a press conference held at the White House earlier this week.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek’s Fact Check Team
Uncommon knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
