The video in the post was first online in September 2022. It is an excerpt from a 115-minute French documentary film titled: “A President, Europe, and War” with dialogues between Macron, Putin, Zelenskyy, and other world leaders. The post promotes the video as though it was a recent discussion between Macron and Zelenskyy and, on top of that, it claims that President Siljanovska Davkova will now “send [the Macedonian army] to Ukraine”. No such thing has happened. It is not the first time it was claimed on social media that Macedonian soldiers will be sent or have already been sent to the front in Ukraine 

A post on Facebook shares a video of an alleged discussion between French and Ukrainian presidents Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy talking about Ukraine, the Russian invasion, and the “bad” situation on the front. The post description claims that the Supreme Commander of N. Macedonia will send the army to Ukraine: 

NOW THE BABA [YAGA]  SUPREME COMMANDER WILL SEND [THE ARMY] IN UKRAINE, specifies the post.

The video supposedly describes the telephone conversation between Zelenskyy and Macron, which went viral on social networks. The video, allegedly, shows two leaders talking about the situation in Ukraine, and Zelenskyy expressing his readiness to negotiate with Russia and calling upon the West led by the USA to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid further escalation of the conflict. 

Macron, on the other hand, appears concerned as he realizes the gravity of the situation and inquires about the movement of Russian military forces in Ukraine, particularly in Kyiv and Odesa. Zelenskyy confirms that Russian soldiers are all over Kyiv, Odesa, and even from Belarus. He stresses that the scope of the invasion has been unprecedented since 2014. Macron is shocked, admitting that such a predicament represents a “total war”. After that, Zelenskyy points out the importance of talking to Putin and establishing an anti-war coalition to put an end to the conflict by diplomatic means thereby stressing the urgency to act. 

As a reminder, Russia initiated its invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February 2022. 

The fact-checking service PRNigeria determined that the video shared in the post we are fact-checking appeared for the first time online in September 2022. 

Further findings reveal that the footage is an excerpt from a 115-minute French documentary titled “A President, Europe, and War”, which chronicles how French President Emmanuel Macron, in the course of the French Presidency with the EU, undertakes the task of negotiating with President Putin in an attempt to prevent the invasion of Ukraine. The documentary film includes a similar dialogue between Macron, Putin, and other world leaders. 

The film follows French President Macron and his advisors in the days leading up to the outbreak of the war and through the first four months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The documentary portrays a unique outlook on world leaders’ diplomatic assessment and decision-making during Europe’s biggest crisis since World War 2. 

PRNigeria fact-check team confirms that indeed the media in 2022 was awash with reports of several conversations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanual Macron regarding the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. 

For instance, in February 2022, President Macron engaged in a shuttle diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine over the invasion. And on 1 November 2022, President Macron had a phone call with President Zelenskyy, where they discussed the situation on the ground and the latest developments in Ukraine’s counter-offensive, reports PRNigeria. 

So, the video shared by the post we are fact-checking appeared for the first time in September 2022 and it is an excerpt from the French documentary film “A President, Europe, and War”, written and directed by the journalist Guy Lagache, features similar dialogues between Macron, Putin and other world leaders. 

The post shares the video as though it was covering recent talks between Macron and Zelenskyy claiming that the current President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova will send ARM (army) soldiers to Ukraine. 

No such thing has happened. It is not the first time that a social media post has incorrectly claimed that Macedonian soldiers will be sent or have already been sent to the front in Ukraine. 

Last month Truthmeter, analyzing such a claim, turned to the Defence Ministry and answered that the Republic of North Macedonia does not have soldiers in Ukraine. 

In the current period, the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia has a total of 185 of its troops deployed in missions, operations and activities in NATO, the EU and UN. Most of the troops and formations participate in NATO – KFOR operations in Kosovo with two military formations equal in strength to an infantry platoon and General Headquarters staff, while in NATO’s Enhanced Vigilance Activities (EVA) in Romania and Bulgaria with formations equal in strength to a platoon, as well as Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) in Latvia with one unit. Apart from these, we take part with a platoon in the EU ALTEA mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the UN mission UNIFIL in Lebanon with general staff, replied the Defence Ministry to Truthmeter..

The Ministry also added that the composition and size of the participation in operations and missions depended on joint activities and the demands made to the highest state level on NATO, EU, and UN meetings, as well as the capacity and demands met by the Army that stems from General Staff analyzes.  

On several occasions to date, different Facebook accounts, and supporters of the Russian aggression, tried to manipulate and circulate the fake news that NATO is at war with Russia and that NATO member states will be sending troops to Ukraine. In that context, N. Macedonia was mentioned, while such news has already been debunked by Truthmeter.

The participation of subjects from North Macedonia in foreign armies is a criminal offence. The Army of the Republic of North Macedonia participates in NATO and EU missions and drills only. It is not true that the Defence Ministry and the Defence Minister are making mobilization lists. In compliance with the security assessments, the situation in the country is secure and stable. The Defence Ministry and Minister Petrovska call for refraining from spreading fake news and disinformation, responded from the DM in November 2022..

Due to the above-noted facts, we assess the fact-checked post as incorrect.