A website started by a former U.S. Marine now living in Russia has fueled rumors that Volodymyr Zelensky bought two luxury yachts with U.S. aid money.
Despite false claims, the disinformation conspiracy succeeded. It sparked a buzz online and drew responses from members of the U.S. Congress who make key decisions on military spending.
It’s an incredible assertion – that Mr Zelensky spent $75m (£59m) buying two yachts using two advisers as agents.
But the Ukrainian government not only categorically denies this claim, but the two ships in question have not even been sold.
Although the story was false, U.S. lawmakers were informed of the news and said any decision on further aid to Ukraine would be delayed until next year.
Some strongly opposed further support.
“Anyone voting for Ukraine is funding the most corrupt money scheme of all foreign wars in our nation’s history,” Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said on X (formerly Twitter).
She linked to a story containing yacht rumors.
Republican Senator Tom Tillis, a supporter of military aid to Ukraine, spoke to CNN shortly after the senators held a closed-door meeting with Zelensky last week.
“I think the concept of corruption came about because some people said we can’t do this because people will use the money to buy yachts,” Mr Tillis said. “[Mr. Zelensky] has stopped people from misunderstanding these ideas.”
Mr. Tillis clashed with another Republican senator, J.D. Vance, who also mentioned both Mr. Zelensky and the boats.
“Somebody is going to cut Social Security and plunge our grandparents into poverty, and why? Zelensky’s one,” Vance said while discussing budget priorities on a podcast hosted by former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Can a minister buy a bigger yacht? ”
Although the yacht rumor was false, the BBC found that the story was heavily promoted by a Russia-linked website pretending to be based in Washington.
The researchers said it “may be a tool specifically used for narrative laundering, with ties to the Russian government.”
