Russian propaganda spreads fake claim that Zelensky 'transfers' $50M monthly to Saudi bank

Propagandists have used an interview with a pro-Russian U.S. congresswoman to spread disinformation targeting Western audiences.

Russian state media, Telegram channels, and bot networks on X (formerly Twitter) are circulating a clip from an interview between U.S. Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna and podcaster Danny Jones. In the video, Luna claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky allegedly "makes transfers" of $50 million every month to a bank in Saudi Arabia. Propagandists are presenting this as supposed "evidence" uncovered by the U.S. Congress of Zelensky's "misuse" of Western aid to Ukraine.

This claim is false.

First, Luna's words were taken out of context. The Danny Jones podcast typically focuses on conspiracy theories, the Bible, and extraterrestrials – topics that were also discussed in her interview.

During a segment about alleged classified U.S. intelligence and Pentagon data related to UFOs, Luna mentioned that some government expenditures might be hidden. She called for an audit and, in that context, speculated – without evidence – that President Zelensky "transfers about $50 million a month to some Saudi bank."

However, audits of U.S. aid to Ukraine have found no evidence of misuse or fraud.

Luna's statement lacks any factual basis or details, including which Saudi bank she was referring to.

The congresswoman has repeatedly expressed pro-Russian sympathies and has called for restoring friendly relations between the U.S. and Russia. For instance, in October she quoted Putin's aide Kirill Dmitriev on her X account and said she wanted to organize an interparliamentary meeting between Russian State Duma members and U.S. lawmakers to discuss UFOs.

In 2023, Luna also co-sponsored a bill aimed at halting U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

In this case, Russian propagandists exploited a baseless, out-of-context remark by a pro-Russian lawmaker to discredit President Zelensky in the eyes of Western audiences.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Russian propaganda also spread a false claim that Hollywood stars visited Ukraine in exchange for payments from USAID.

Andriy Olenin