FACT CHECK: Did CNN Air This Chyron About Putin Waiting To Invade Ukraine Until Biden Sends Weapons ‘For Russia To Capture’?
An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows a CNN chyron claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin will not invade Ukraine until U.S. President Joe Biden delivers weapons to the country “for Russia to capture.”
Verdict: False
The chyron in the image has been digitally inserted. There is no such report of Russia delaying an invasion of Ukraine until the U.S. delivers weapons to the country.
Fact Check:
More than 100,000 Russian troops have massed along the country’s border with Ukraine as of Feb. 14, according to BBC News. While Russian authorities have claimed they do not plan on invading Ukraine, the U.S. has warned that Russia could launch an air attack at any time, the outlet reported.
In the Facebook image, CNN host Kate Bolduan can be seen speaking on her show “At This Hour with Kate Bolduan.” The broadcast’s largest chyron appears to read: “SOURCES: PUTIN TO DELAY INVASION UNTIL BIDEN DELIVERS WEAPONS TO UKRAINE FOR RUSSIA TO CAPTURE,” suggesting Putin would only invade if the U.S. had put equipment in Ukraine for Russia to retrieve once an invasion started. Text in the image claims this is “an actual CNN headline.”
The image is digitally altered and out of context. The screen grab comes from a 2017 “At This Hour with Kate Bolduan” segment. During the clip, Bolduan was discussing Putin’s then-recent denial that Russia had interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The broadcast’s largest chyron actually stated, “Putin: ‘Read My Lips: No’ We Didn’t Interfere In Election.” The chyron makes no reference to a conflict in Ukraine. (RELATED: Did Joe Biden Say, ‘Putin Should Resign And Give Way To Younger Politicians’?)
Bolduan’s press representative, Sidney Baldwin, confirmed to Check Your Fact via email that the image shared on Facebook is “a completely fabricated headline.”
The fake headline in the Facebook post does not appear on CNN’s website, nor in any of its posts on social media. Check Your Fact was unable to find any news report from The New York Times, The Washington Post or the Associated Press discussing such a development.
