Claims about Ukraine allegedly receiving “inflated ratings” on its path toward accession to the European Union do not correspond to reality. The EU openly publishes reform assessments, in which Ukraine’s progress is recorded alongside clear requirements for further advancement. All scores are assigned in accordance with actual results and the effectiveness of implemented reforms – this is confirmed not only by Politico’s reporting, but also by official reports and statements from representatives of the European Commission. This was reported by StopFake.

Russian media outlets and pro-Russian Telegram channels are spreading a distorted interpretation of an article by the U.S. publication Politico, alleging that Ukraine receives unjustifiably high ratings compared to other candidate countries, particularly Serbia. Propagandists claim that a country at war and facing corruption problems is deliberately being given a higher rating, ignoring the substance of the original article. In reality, in the Politico piece titled “Grading the EU hopefuls”, the author simply outlines each country’s prospects for EU accession and provides an analytical assessment of their progress. The article notes that Montenegro receives a grade equivalent to an “A”, Albania an “A-”, Moldova a “B+”, and Ukraine a “solid B”.

The key document determining the advancement of candidate countries is the European Commission’s annual Enlargement Report. It provides a detailed assessment of progress across 35 chapters of the negotiation framework, and it is this document that EU member states take into account when making decisions. In the 2025 report, Montenegro, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine demonstrated the greatest progress and were named leaders of the process. The European Union consistently emphasizes that the accession process remains strict, fair, and highly demanding, without any concessions or political exceptions. Ukraine has been recognized for significant progress in reforms, while at the same time the EU requires intensified efforts to meet all criteria, especially in the areas of the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental freedoms.

A video allegedly presenting a new episode of a Ukrainian cartoon is being circulated online. In it, a grandfather tells his grandson that Ukraine is a European country that shares Western values, including open love between two men and the holding of Pride marches. When the grandson says that his grandmother considers LGBT people perverts, the grandfather replies that she has simply been influenced by Russian propaganda. In reality, this cartoon was neither created nor broadcast in Ukraine, and the video in question contains clear signs of falsification. This was reported by VoxCheck.

The video does not indicate on which channel or platform the cartoon was supposedly aired, and there are no mentions of it on Ukrainian television or in online media. The clip was distributed exclusively by Russian sources.

The so-called “cartoon” contains numerous language errors, indicating that it was created by people for whom Ukrainian is not a native language. The cartoon character addresses his grandson as “Tarasko” instead of the natural Ukrainian diminutive “Tarasyk”, and the phrase “absolutely everyone” is incorrectly rendered as “absolutely everything.” These are typical mistakes made by native Russian speakers attempting to imitate Ukrainian.

The cartoon was likely generated using software based on artificial intelligence algorithms, which make it possible to create simple animation quickly and almost free of charge. This is further evidenced by the repetition of frames and the overall artificial appearance of the graphics.

Previously, at least two other episodes of the same “cartoon”, featuring the same characters and plot elements, had already appeared online. At first, propagandists claimed it had allegedly been created by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and later that it was being broadcast on Ukrainian television channels. Both claims are false: these videos have no connection whatsoever to Ukrainian animators and initially appeared on Russian Telegram channels.

A video is being circulated online that allegedly shows the work of so-called “language patrols” in Ukraine. In the footage, a group of activists addresses vendors at a book market in Kyiv, urging them to hand over Russian-language books for disposal and to promote Ukrainian literature. In reality, this is a manipulation, as no official “language patrols” exist in Ukraine. The video captures a personal initiative by activist Veronika Olshanska, as reported by VoxCheck.

A reverse Google search shows that the original source of the video is the YouTube channel “Movnyi” (“Language”), which belongs to Veronika Olshanska – the founder of the nationalist community “Ukrainian Ukraine”. The activist organizes peaceful actions in support of the Ukrainian language, draws attention to language policy, and initiates petitions calling for a ban on the Russian language and Russian content in Ukraine.

In 2023, Ukraine adopted Law No. 2309-IX, which restricts the import and distribution of publishing products from Russia, Belarus, and temporarily occupied territories. The law requires publishers and distributors to produce and distribute books in the Ukrainian language, the languages of Indigenous peoples, or the official languages of the European Union. Violations are punishable by fines and confiscation of the products. At the same time, the sale of Russian-language books imported before 2023 does not violate the law if they do not contain anti-Ukrainian propaganda, while certain publications from Russia and Belarus are banned regardless of the date of import.