On February 27, the leader of the political party Kartuli Dasi [Georgian Troupe], Jondi Baghaturia, published a Facebook post claiming that on the same day, the Ukrainian government organized an anti-Trump protest near the White House in Washington, at which effigies insulting the U.S. president were displayed. Baghaturia also stated that the demonstration was led by Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, and that ambassadors from EU member states attended in support. The post further claims that Markarova was expelled from the U.S. due to this incident.
On March 3, a Facebook user shared Baghaturia’s post in the group “თბილისი-Tbilisi 🇬🇪“.
Jondi Baghaturia has spread disinformation regarding the alleged anti-Trump protest. There is no evidence to support the claim that Ukraine’s ambassador organized such an event on February 27. A protest coordinated with the Ukrainian embassy did take place on February 22, which was attended by the ambassador, but it was dedicated to the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. There are no open-source reports confirming that Trump effigies were displayed at this event. Additionally, the claim that Oksana Markarova was expelled from the U.S. is false; she was present at the White House on February 28.
Open sources do not provide any evidence confirming that an anti-Trump protest was organized near the White House by the Ukrainian Embassy on February 27. The last protest organized by Ukrainians in Washington before that date took place on February 22. The event was dedicated to the third anniversary of the start of the Russia-Ukraine war and was attended by the Ukrainian diaspora in the U.S. and supporters of Ukraine. According to the event’s website, the protest was coordinated with the Ukrainian Embassy, and its organizers included the following organizations: United Help Ukraine, Ukrainian American Activists, Razom for Ukraine, Ukraine House, and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. During the protest, participants gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, which is located near the White House, and then marched to the residence of the Russian ambassador. Notably, photos and videos from this day available in open sources do not show any effigies insulting Trump, and no media outlets reported anything of the sort. Upon reviewing the footage, Myth Detector identified a banner mentioning Trump, which read, “Putin owns Trump.”
Several European ambassadors attended the February 22 march. The event was also attended by Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, who later posted that many of Ukraine’s friends were present, including the EU ambassador to the U.S. Markarova also addressed the gathering. She thanked the ambassadors who came to support Ukraine, as well as U.S. and Ukrainian citizens and members of the Jewish community. In her speech, she spoke about Russia’s full-scale invasion and the war crimes committed. She recalled cities where Ukrainian civilians were brutally attacked and urged people not to forget them. Markarova expressed gratitude to the 143 countries that supported the UN resolution condemning Russian aggression. She also acknowledged the help provided by the American people:
“Why are we here today? And once again, thank you for being here. I have only two messages. The first message is thank you, and we will never get tired of saying thank you. Thank you to the American people – your support over these three years has allowed us to do what we are doing. Heartfelt thanks for every piece of military equipment, every kind of support for our people, every effort to investigate war crimes, and all forms of assistance in Ukraine, from bomb shelters to everything else…. Ukrainians will never forget what America has done and how it has helped us during these very difficult three years.”
Thus, the protest that took place on February 22, which Ukraine’s ambassador attended, was not an anti-Trump event. It was dedicated to the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and in her speech, the ambassador expressed gratitude for American assistance.
Contrary to Jondi Baghaturia’s claim, Oksana Markarova has not been expelled from the U.S. No such information has been reported in open sources, nor have any official statements been made by the U.S. or Ukrainian authorities regarding such a decision. Moreover, on February 28, Markarova was present at the White House, where she attended the meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in her capacity as Ukraine’s ambassador. She continues to publish statements on her X account as Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S.
Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, anti-Trump protests have often been held in the U.S., often in response to his executive orders. Many of these demonstrations are coordinated by the movement 50501 (50 States, 50 Protests, 1 Movement), which organizes various activities nationwide. On February 28, during his visit to the U.S., Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. The leaders engaged in a heated exchange in front of the media, after which pro-Ukraine demonstrations took place in the U.S., where Trump was criticized. However, Ukraine’s embassy has not been identified as the organizer of these protests, and many U.S. citizens supporting Ukraine have also participated in them.
About the Source:
Jondi Baghaturia has spread disinformation multiple times. His anti-Western and anti-Ukrainian claims have been fact-checked by Myth Detector in the past.
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