Top Statement Factchecks
Latest Statements
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RT
Russian government-funded international broadcaster
“Afghan military are suspected of molesting minors. However, a public acknowledgement of this fact would mean a rupture of the U.S. relationship with Kabul. But Washington has invested about $700 billion in the Afghan campaign over the last 15 years and is not ready to lose its investments."
Read more...SIGAR and State Department actually acknowledged the problem publicly. -
Oleksandr Turchynov
secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defense Council (NSDC)
"Ukraine has never supplied rocket engines or any kind of missile technology to North Korea.”
Read more...Aside from Ukrainian denials, even Michael Elleman, the missile expert cited by the New York Times, conceded that the engines could have come from a Russian factory. -
Aleksandr Zakharchenko
leader of Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk region
“Our desire is to create favorable conditions for the work of the OSCE mission, full cooperation. I would like the whole world to know what is happening in the DPR.”
Read more...In fact, obstruction of OSCE monitors and armed attacks on their patrols have mounted in recent weeks with clear indication of separatist responsibility. -
Dmitry Medvedev
Russian Prime Minister
“Russia carried out an operation to enforce peace. We could not do otherwise, according to both the law and our conscience.”
Read more...While he is right that Georgian forces violated international law in their attack on Tskhinvali, the following Russian invasion saw massive violations of humanitarian law. -
Sergey Ryabkov
Deputy Foreign Minister, Russia
"The Syrians should decide for themselves what to do with their country... and that's the whole core, the essential element of our policy towards Syria."
Read more...The Russian Foreign Ministry’s claim that the free will of the Syrian people is “the essential element” of Moscow’s Syria policy is contradicted by both Russian actions in Syria and by experts. -
Aleksei Podberezkin
Head of Center for Military and Political Studies, MGIMO
“No missile program of North Korea threatens the U.S. now. And it will be a while before it does. Theoretically, one of its missiles could reach the continental U.S. in two-three years… The DPRK does not have any unique technologies, there can’t be any… Only big states are able to develop military technologies. [North] Korea is not one of them.”
Read more...In fact, North Korea has demonstrated both capacity and intent to develop nuclear and missile programs and systems that threaten the U.S. and its allies. -
Viktor Litovkin
TASS military commentator
“[Western analysts] have written that these exercises will become a prelude for deployment in Belarus for a new Russian military base with Iskander M missiles and Su-30 destroyers.”
Read more...Since the Russian military used exercises near Georgia in 2008 and near Ukraine in 2014 as covers for invasions, apprehensions about Belarus are warranted. -
RT
Russian government broadcaster
“Russian athletes banned from singing national anthem at hotels at London World Championship.”
Read more...RT reported Russian athletes participating in the 2017 IAAF World Championships athletics competition in London as “neutrals” – that is, who, for various reasons, are not allowed or not willing to represent their country of origin – have been banned from displaying any signs of national identity. This rule applies to any “neutral” athlete from any country. -
Denis Pushilin
leader of the Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk region
"These outrageous facts of the violations of the Minsk agreements by Ukrainian forces has not elicited a reaction on the part of the leadership of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission."
Read more...The charge by the separatist leader came after reports by the OSCE monitors noting the movement of military vehicles between Russia and separatist-controlled areas of southeastern Ukraine as well as the refusal by the separatists allowing monitors access to a separatist-controlled area. As for the monitors' reports, regularly site violations by both sides, however most are committed by the separatists. -
Alyaksandr Lukashenka
President of Belarus
"This is an open exercise and we invite or have already invited a huge number of observers. Please come and watch it."
Read more...Despite such assurances from Lukashenka and other officials from Russia and Belarus, the likelihood of Zapad 17 being transparent is unlikely. Since 1991, Russia has declared that every military drill it has conducted has included just under 13,000, a threshold over which Moscow would be obligated to invite outside observers.