A senior official claims that a famous quote by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky appears to be fake news, war propaganda.
The quote about needing ammunition helped catapult his credentials as a defiant wartime leader.
The revelation came amidst a sprawling report by the New Yorker on the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine, which is far more extensive than previously known and includes operational planning at the highest levels.
But Zelensky’s famous line – “I need ammunition, not a ride” – and the fact that it may have been completely fabricated and promoted by the media ad nauseam casts a further pall on a war narrative that has at times seemed crafted by the heavy hand of a former actor.
From the New Yorker:
Two days into the invasion, the Associated Press reported that Zelensky had rejected a U.S. offer to evacuate him from Kyiv, saying, “I need ammunition, not a ride.” A senior U.S. official said, “To the best of my knowledge, that never happened.” The official added, “But hats off to Zelensky and the people around him. It was a great line.”
Great piece by @yaffaesque. Including this tidbit…?
Inside the U.S. Effort to Arm Ukraine https://t.co/xFkpW7AbYm pic.twitter.com/EhhA0ZCnI5— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) October 17, 2022
Zelensky’s Ammunition Line Fake?
If you’re searching for evidence that the American media are perfectly fine with helping to perpetuate falsehoods in the war effort in Ukraine, you need look no further than the Washington Post and fact-checker Glenn Kessler.
Kessler analyzed the claim that Zelensky had uttered the quote: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Though he admitted the claim was not easily verifiable, he concluded using Zelensky’s press secretary that “the quote, even if not accurate, reflects the moment.”
At least he tried. The rest of the media simply ran with it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky turned down an offer from the US to evacuate from the capital city Kyiv, the Ukraine embassy in Britain said on Twitter.
According to the embassy, Zelensky said: “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride” https://t.co/IR8gBPu7a5
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) February 26, 2022
This isn’t the first time stories coming out of Ukraine had proven to be completely orchestrated in an effort to drum up emotional support from the United States.
Around the same time as the Zelensky ‘ammunition’ quote, a story was developing about a defiant group of 13 Ukrainian border guards defending Snake Island in the Black Sea who reportedly told a Russian warship to “go f*** yourself” after being ordered to surrender.
The 13 Ukrainian border guards were initially widely reported as killed as the Russian warship opened fire with barreled guns and aircraft bombing Snake Island.
Zelenskyy said during a press briefing that the guards died “heroes” and even said the 13 would be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.
It was later reported they were still alive and in Russian captivity.
(In full transparency, The Political Insider covered both the initial story and the revelations.)
Did you know there are reports that those Snake Island Ukrainian soldiers are still alive? Who disseminated those first audio tapes so quickly and told the story? No problem w/telling it, but in all cases we shd know who’s putting out the info. & tell viewers.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) March 4, 2022
Then, of course, there is the infamous ‘Ghost of Kyiv‘ propaganda promoted by some prominent figures here in the United States. Some, like Rep. Adam Kinzinger, were so willing to believe the story they promoted fake images of a meme-character known as Samuel Hyde.
RELATED: The ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ Fairytale Was Deliberate, Dangerous Disinformation
‘Go Away, Troll’
It’s breathtaking the number of stories like the Zelensky ammunition fairytale that have been thrust upon the American people as a means to justify the absurd level of financial and military support being offered to Ukraine at our expense.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson has seemingly had enough, eviscerating Zelensky for making further outrageous demands for financial aid while the United States economy, and the American people, are suffering.
????
Tucker Carlson Responding To Zelensky Demanding More Money
“Some uppity foreigner in a t-shirt demanding money for his ‘critical economic needs.’ We have critical economic needs too, buddy. Who are you troll? Go away.” pic.twitter.com/nqHDmiJBKF
— The Columbia Bugle ?? (@ColumbiaBugle) October 14, 2022
“Zelenskyy is now shaking down our cowardly Congress for more cash at the very moment our own economy and our own borders are collapsing,” Carlson fumed.
“Some uppity foreigner in a T-shirt demanding money for his critical economic needs. We have critical economic needs too, buddy,” he added. “Who are you, troll? Go away.”
Ukrainian misinformation is just as troublesome as that being perpetuated by the Russians. Why aren’t Americans equally skeptical?
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