Zelenskyy did not block Truth Social in Ukraine

Amid a flurry of statements by U.S. President Donald Trump supporting a Russia-aligned view of the ongoing war in Ukraine in February 2025, pro-Trump pundit Benny Johnson claimed, among others, that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy had blocked access to Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform, in Ukraine.

As evidence, Johnson shared what appeared to be a computer screenshot with the text, “Truth Social is currently unavailable in your area”:

The claim was false. Truth Social has never been made available in Ukraine. When the app first launched in February 2022, it was available only in the U.S. and Canada. According to a March 2024 report by Ukrainian media watchdog Detector Media, the platform’s reach still remains limited to a few countries:

Truth Social is still only available in some countries of the world after its almost third year of existence. Among the official list of countries where the social network operates are the USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Turkey, and Australia. 

In a statement posted on X, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted reports that the country had blocked access to the app, stating that the country “would appreciate it if … Truth Social would add Ukraine to their authorized region of operations”:

Johnson, the pundit responsible for pushing the claim to virality, was among a group of conservative influencers who, federal prosecutors alleged in September 2024, were unwittingly funded by Russian state media employees. Those workers sought to exploit U.S. political divisions and promote, as The Associated Press reported, “Russian interests, like its war in Ukraine.”

Because Zelenskyy’s actions have nothing to do with Truth Social’s absence in Ukraine, we therefore rate this claim as false.

Sources