No, Biden didn’t threaten to kill Zelenskyy
President Joe Biden has voiced his support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the United States has sent billions in weapons and military training to the country as Ukraine fights Russia’s invasion.
Those facts make a recent description of a video on Facebook all the more befuddling: “Biden won’t finish first term! Leaked audio – Biden threatens to assassinate Ukraine president!” the July 18 post says.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The video itself offers no evidence of this supposedly leaked audio — nor does it provide a credible source to corroborate the post. We also couldn’t find anything online to support the claim.
In fact, Zelenkyy’s wife, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, visited the White House and met with the Bidens on July 19. The White House said Zelenska and U.S. first lady Jill Biden would “discuss the United States’ continued support for the government of Ukraine and its people as they defend their democracy.”
We rate claims that Biden threatened to kill Zelenskyy Pants on Fire.
Our Sources
Facebook post, July 18, 2022
CNN, Jill Biden meets with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska at the White House, July 19, 2022
The White House, Statement by President Joe Biden on Support for Ukraine and Call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, June 15, 2022
The White House, Statement by President Joe Biden on Call with President Zelenskyy and Additional Security Assistance to Ukraine, April 13, 2022
The Associated Press, US announces $820M in Ukraine aid, including missile systems, July 1, 2022
