The website of the State Department transparently lists all kinds of assistance the USA is giving to Ukraine. The aid, however, is not personal aid to Zelenskyy, nor is it for acting or much less for an acting engagement, as the post claims. From January 2021, the US has invested more than USD 33.2 billion as security assistance to demonstrate its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Often, Russia is abusing the fact that previously Zelenskyy was an actor to discredit and minimize his political engagement and the high statehood awareness that he has been demonstrating since the beginning of the war. The shared photograph of Zelenskyy in soldier’s uniform dates before the Russian military invasion of Ukraine

We are fact-checking a post published on the social network Facebook (screenshot here) sharing a photograph of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the words:

Zelenskyy was the highest paid actor in 2022. He received USD 8 billion. Maybe the earnings in 2023 will be double.

Part of the post is promoting a photograph of Zelenskyy wearing soldier’s uniform, but the photo dates back to the beginning of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine from 24th February 2022. As reported by the fact-checkers of Fact Crescendo, such photographs could be found on Getty Images on the 6th December 2021, taken at the moment when the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visited the Army in Donbass in Ukraine.

The description of the photograph on Getty Images is:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the front-line positions of Ukrainian military in Donbass, Ukraine.

At the time, the 44-year old Zelenskyy was visiting Donbas, which borders two pro-Russian republics – Donetsk and Luhansk.

The information that Zelenskyy was in Donbass in 2021 originates from the Press Service of the President and is related to marking the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, specifies the Presidential Office.

The announcement reports that Zelenskyy talked to uniformed soldiers and gave them gifts and awarded five of them with national awards.

I am honoured to be with you today. Thank you for defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. I am confident that with people like you, we are definitely going to win, said Zelenskyy at the time.

The President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy was an actor before being elected president, but then he put his acting career on hold. In 2022 he was not involved in any acting projects, but was running a country that was facing a military invasion by Russia. The specific photograph of Zelenskyy is not part of an act, but taken during the visit of Donbass by a state official, in this case the President of the State.

Regarding the information in the post that Zelenskyy apparently received 18 billion Dollars in 2022, this information originates from an Internet comment shared by the son of the former American President, Donald Trump, and published by Russia Today.

The son of Donald Trump shared on Instagram criticism about the military assistance coming from the USA to Ukraine. Trump Junior shared a tweet saying that Tom Cruise was the highest paid actor for 2022, followed by a comment by a Twitter user ”that the highest paid actor for 2022 is Zelenskyy who earned 18 billion compared to Cruises’s hundred million.

Украинскиот претседател Володимир Зеленски во посета на ситуацијата на терен на фронтот на украинската армија во Донбас, Украина.

Во тоа време 44-годишниот Зеленски беше на работна посета на Донбас кој се граничи со две проруски републики на Доњецк и Луганск.

Информацијата дека Зеленски бил во 2021 година во Донбас, потекнува од претседателската прес-служба и се однесува на настан од денот на вооружените сили на Украина, според известувањето од претседателскиот кабинет.

Во соопштението се известува дека Зеленски разговарал со униформираните војници и им дал подароци, како и одликувал петмина од нив со државни награди.

Почестен сум да бидам со вас денеска. Ви благодарам што ги браните суверенитетот и територијалниот интегритет на Украина. Уверен сум дека со луѓе како вас, дефинитивно ќе победиме, рекол тогаш Зеленски.

Иако претседателот на Украина, Зеленски пред да биде избран за претседател беше актер, тој ја остави во мирување актерската кариера. Во 2022 година немаше актерски проекти туку водеше држава соочена со воена инвазија од страна на Русија. Конкретната фотографија на Зеленски не е дел од глума, туку е направена при посета на државен функционер во Донбас, од позиција на претседател на држава.

Што се однесува на посочениот податок во постот дека Зеленски добил 18 милијарди долари во 2022 година, оваа информација потекнува од интернет коментар кој го споделил синот на поранешниот американски претседател, Доналд Трамп, а го пренесе Раша Тудеј.

Синот на Доналд Трамп на инстаграм сподели критика за воената помош која стига од САД до Украина. Трамп Јуниор споделил твит во кој се кажува дека Том Круз е најплатениот актер за 2022 година на што следува коментар од корисник на Твитер „дека најплатениот актер за 2022 година е Зеленски кој заработил 18 милијарди споредено со стоте милиони на Круз.

Since January 2021, the United States has invested more than 33.2 billion in security assistance to demonstrate our enduring and steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This includes 32.6 billion since Russia’s launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since 2014, the United States has provided more than 35.5 billion in security assistance for training and equipment to help Ukraine preserve its territorial integrity, secure its borders and improve interoperability with NATO, specifies the website of the State Department.

The website transparently lists all types of assistance that the USA is delivering to Ukraine. The aid, however, is not personal aid to Zelenskyy, nor is it for acting or much less for an acting engagement. Often, Russia is abusing the fact that previously Zelenskyy was an actor to discredit and minimize his political engagement and the high statehood awareness that he has been demonstrating since the beginning of the military invasion. Truthmeter has already covered such attempts.

Due to all of the above-noted facts, the post we are fact-checking we assess as untrue.

All comments and remarks regarding this and other Vistinomer articles, correction and clarification requests as well as suggestions for fact-checking politicians’ statements and political parties’ promises can be submitted by using this form