Fact Check: Did Putin call Trump a 'patriot' and say it's a 'golden age' for Russia?
WASHINGTON, DC: After the controversial diesel deal between the United States and Russia, a rumor circulated on social media platforms claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin praised President Donald Trump, calling him a patriot and saying it's a golden age for Russia. The claim sparked concern and speculation among online users, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump, calling him a 'patriot'
The claim appeared in a Facebook post, which showed an image of Putin on a Fox News graphic card, implying that the outlet had reported the story.
According to the post, the Russian president said, “This is the golden age of Russia. We have two very hardworking patriotic presidents. One in Moscow. One in Washington, D.C.”
The post has also spread on other platforms such as X, Instagram, and Threads, collectively garnering tens of thousands of views as of this writing. Many commenters expressed over the growing relationship between the two nations, while others saw it as a positive sign.
The comments suggest that many people believed the claim was true, while a few remained skeptical and questioned its authenticity.
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
The claim, however, is false, as there are no reports of the Russian president calling Trump a patriot or stating that it's a golden age for his country.
There are no new statements, announcements, or social media posts from Putin in which he made those remarks.
If Putin had really made such a statement, prominent news media outlets in the US and around the world would have widely reported it, making headlines, but a Google search for the claim yielded no such media reports, including from Fox News.
Moreover, the post includes several signs of fabrication and satire, including a watermark stating ‘Mrs. Putin Satire’ and Fox News being misspelled as ‘Fox Mews.’ Putin’s name is also misspelled as ‘Voldemort Pukein, Prussian President.’
Donald Trump calls for the replacement of Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The claim surfaced following a US agreement to buy diesel from Russia, which drew strong scrutiny from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, prompting Trump to call for his replacement.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does,” Trump said.
“Zelenskyy could have settled this war many times, many, many times, and he chooses not to. Very difficult. It’s a war that should have never been started. If I were present, if the election weren’t rigged, I would have been president and that war would have never started,” Trump said.
