On February 20, Elon Musk announced that a feature on his social media platform X, which allows users to fact-check potentially misleading posts, was being “gamed” in relation to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Musk vowed to “fix” the issue, highlighting concerns over the integrity of the platform’s fact-checking system2.
Musk’s statement came after US President Donald Trump, a known ally of Musk, recently turned against Zelensky, accusing the Ukrainian leader of being a “dictator” and blaming him for starting the war with Russia—narratives that align with Moscow’s long-standing propaganda4.
The shift in Trump’s stance has led to a surge of social media activity, with users, including European officials and journalists, taking to X to defend Ukraine and Zelensky. The controversy underscores the ongoing tensions and the role of social media in shaping public perception and discourse around the conflict.