Last fakes of the week
29 мая 2026
An economist claims the U.S. manipulated statistics to unseat China as the world’s largest economy
Following the visits of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to China, Belarusian state media reported that, in violation of diplomatic protocol, Xi Jinping did not greet the American president at the airport, yet publicly acknowledged Lukashenko during his conversation with Trump. In turn, the U.S. is blocking China’s economic leadership by manipulating statistics. However, these claims lack factual evidence.
misrepresentation, China, USA, Belarus, Russia, Radio Minsk, First national channel of Belarusian radio, Vadzim Yalfimau, Solomon Bernstein, Iryna Novikava, economy, diplomacy.
27 мая 2026
“Turned out to be a lie.” A state media expert compared the wheat harvest in Lithuania to the total grain harvest in Belarus
Iryna Novikava, a professor and Doctor of Economic Sciences who heads the Department of Economics at the Belarusian State Technological University, said that Belarus harvested 9 million tons of wheat, while Lithuania harvested half that amount. In this way, she attempted to argue that claims of Lithuanian agriculture’s greater efficiency are false. However, in Belarus, the 9 million tons figure refers to the total harvest of all grains and legumes, not wheat alone.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, Belarus, First Information TV Channel news.by, First national channel of Belarusian radio, Iryna Novikava, economy, achievements.
26 мая 2026
“We should just wait and see — they will die out on their own.” Two demographic fakes by Ksenia Lebedzeva about the Baltic States
Ksenia Lebedzeva, a presenter on the First Information TV Channel, that Lithuania was dying out and that Latvia supposedly actually had fewer than one million residents. She correctly cited the birth and death rate figures in Lithuania, but failed to mention that the situation was similar in Belarus. The claim about Latvia’s population is a fabrication.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Radio Minsk, First Information TV Channel news.by, Ksenia Lebedzeva, demography.
25 мая 2026
“Lithuania is doing poorly.” News.by downplayed its neighbor’s investment achievements
The presenter of the First Information TV Channel stated that investments were decreasing and that the industry was in decline in Lithuania. She cited data on 13 investment projects and €15 million in investments as proof. However, these numbers only apply to a six-month period, not to the entire year 2025. The annual performance was significantly higher.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, First Information TV Channel news.by, Ksenia Lebedzeva, economy.
23 мая 2026
Hihin stated that one-third of Germans sympathize with Hitler. However, he mixed up the polls
Vadzim Hihin stated that nearly one-third of Germans consider Adolf Hitler to be a hero or a positive figure. However, polling data does not support this claim. The MP has presented an evaluation of the Nazi era as an evaluation of Hitler’s personality.
misrepresentation, Germany, First Information TV Channel news.by, Vadzim Hihin, Nazism, celebrities.