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Musk amplifies fake report claiming USAID paid celebrities to support Zelensky

Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr and other prominent conservatives are sharing a video that claims to show E! News reporting that the US's humanitarian agency paid millions of dollars to celebrities including Angelina Jolie and Ben Stiller to visit Ukraine and help boost President Volodymyr Zelensky's popularity amid the country's war with Russia. But the clip is not an authentic report, a spokesperson for the entertainment news channel told AFP, and Stiller has publicly rejected the allegations as false.

PolitiFact | Zelenskyy’s statement about Ukraine aid didn’t reveal money laundering operation

Much of the money the U.S. has dedicated for Ukraine aid is spent in the U.S. on domestic weapons manufacturers and U.S. military and government operations.

Direct military support to Ukraine totaled about $70 billion out of the $175 billion Congress has appropriated.

The money isn't being laundered, it's being spent as Congress intended.

Misleading claims on insurance, Ukraine aid, and ocean water use in wildfires

The claim that the LA Fire Department (LAFD) was impacted in its ability to fight the recent wildfires due to its donations to Ukraine was also promoted by writer and entrepreneur John LeFevre (archived here), who linked donations to Ukraine to current resource shortages.

In March 2022, during the early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fire departments across California, including Los Angeles County, donated some surplus equipment sitting in storage, including hoses, nozzles, helmets, gloves, boots, and other personal protective gear, as well as medical supplies. The donation did not include any critical equipment or heavy machinery.

There is no suggestion that the previous donations to Ukraine have impacted this particular situation.

The Economist has not published ‘apocalypse’ cover featuring Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

This is not a genuine cover of The Economist. It has not been shared on the publication's archive of past editions, or elsewhere on its website. The Economist edition for 24 February 2024 did feature a different illustration of President Putin and Mr Trump with the title 'Is Europe ready?'

FACT CHECK: Did Ukraine Fire U.S.-Made Missiles Against Civilians In Russia?

This is not a genuine cover of The Economist. It has not been shared on the publication's archive of past editions, or elsewhere on its website. The Economist edition for 24 February 2024 did feature a different illustration of President Putin and Mr Trump with the title 'Is Europe ready?'

NATO Secretary General hasn’t threatened to expel the United States from alliance

A spokesperson for the organisation told Full Fact: "This is a bogus claim. Secretary General Rutte has never said this."

They also pointed us towards the Secretary General's most recent remarks made to the media about President-elect Trump, congratulating him on his election victory and praising him for getting NATO countries to spend more on defence during his first presidency beyond two percent of the GDP target.