This news is completely false: there is no evidence that Yuriy Kosiuk actually donated this money to the victims, and Ron DeSantis did not comment on this fabricated story.
Pro-Russian sources are circulating a screenshot purportedly from the Instagram account of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in which he criticizes support for Ukraine. The post supposedly shares an article by The Kyiv Independent claiming that Ukrainian businessman Yuriy Kosiuk donated $10 million to victims of the Los Angeles wildfires, with a comment from DeSantis: “Thank you, rich Ukrainian, for giving back some of America’s money. Looking forward to another $69,990,000,000.”
However, this news is completely false. First of all, The Kyiv Independent has no article about such a donation from Yuriy Kosiuk to the victims of the Los Angeles fire. The paper only wrote about Ukraine’s readiness to send 150 firefighters to California to help fight the fires. There is no such news in other credible sources or in Yuriy Kosiuk’s personal communication channels. Consequently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis never shared or commented on this non-existent article. Notably, this alleged screenshot from his Instagram page appears exclusively on pro-Russian platforms.
Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has previously been reluctant to support Ukraine. In March 2023, he referred to the war in Ukraine as a “territorial dispute” and emphasized that the U.S. should not get involved in the conflict. This statement drew criticism from other American politicians who believe that supporting Ukraine is strategically important. DeSantis later softened his rhetoric, acknowledging Russia as the aggressor but reiterating that the U.S. should prioritize domestic issues. This time, DeSantis himself became the target of Russian propaganda manipulation aimed at portraying the United States as indifferent to the war in Ukraine.
The wildfires in Los Angeles have provided another opportunity for Russian propagandists to spread their false narratives. Some of these have already been debunked in our articles: Fake: Zelensky Urged Los Angeles Authorities Not To Be Distracted by False Problems and Support Ukraine Financially, Fake: Eight Villas Belonging to Ukrainian Generals Burned Down in Los Angeles, and Fake: Los Angeles Fires Can Not Be Put Out Because Local Fire Department Gave Ukraine Surplus Equipment.
