FACT CHECK: Did Zelenskyy Declare War on Iran and North Korea?
A post shared to X claims that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has declared war on Iran and North Korea.
BREAKING:
Zelensky declared WAR on Iran and North Korea:
“Ukraine is at war with three countries, Russia, Iran and North Korea” – Zelensky
🇺🇦🇷🇺🇮🇷🇰🇵 pic.twitter.com/C734rVWpGc
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) October 16, 2024
Verdict: Misleading
There is no evidence that Ukraine officially declared war against Russian allies Iran and North Korea. Zelenskyy has highlighted North Korean and Iranian help to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Fact Check:
On Oct. 16, President Zelenskyy met with and addressed the Ukrainian parliament, fellow European leaders and officials with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Specifically, he unveiled the highly anticipated “victory plan” put together by his team as they continue their efforts to end the ongoing war with Russia, CNN reported.
The same day, posts began circulating on social media falsely stating that Zelenskyy had declared war against Iran and North Korea, known allies of Russia. However, no news reports or comments from sources indicate that Ukraine has made such a declaration. As of Oct. 17, there is no evidence that this has occurred, per a legislative search done by Lead Stories.
One clip circulating on X is captioned with the same claim that Ukraine is at war with Iran and North Korea as well as Russia. But this segment of Zelenskyy’s speech only refers to the “cooperation” of the two countries with Russia rather than suggesting it will go to war against them.
Zelensky appears to have had a mental breakdown, announcing that Ukraine is now at war with not just Russia, but also North Korea and Iran.
In a stark warning to his government, he urged swift action to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, suggesting that without immediate efforts,… pic.twitter.com/NXywxFDgqA
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) October 16, 2024
Specifically, the Ukrainian president highlighted “the transfer of weapons from North Korea to Russia” and the “help” provided by “the Iranian regime to Putin.” Zelenskyy made these remarks while also noting that China is “abstaining” from serious intervention to “stop the aggression” posed by Russia.
Per a Politico summary of Zelenskyy’s “victory plan,” targeting Iran and North Korea is not a key part of Ukraine’s defense strategy. After the president’s speech on Wednesday, sources revealed that soldiers from North Korea are getting ready to provide ground aid to Russia, though they have reportedly not been deployed, according to CBS News. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: No, Video Does Not Show Su-24 Shot Down By F-16)
The Associated Press also noted that Zelenskyy warned this assistance could lead to a “world war” but said nothing of declaring war against North Korea himself. South Korean intelligence states that 1,500 North Korean troops were being moved to Russia to aid in the country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to CNN.
