Category President Donald Trump

Posts share Trump deepfake after reported call with Putin

After US media reported Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had spoken on the phone about ending the Ukraine war, social media users shared a video claiming it shows the US leader giving details of the call. Experts told AFP the video appears to be a deepfake. While neither Washington nor Moscow officially confirmed any conversations between the leaders when the clip surfaced, Trump later revealed he had agreed with Putin to immediately start negotiations during a call on February 12.

Read MorePosts share Trump deepfake after reported call with Putin

Did Ukraine start its war with Russia, as President Donald Trump said? No, Russia invaded

Media outlets worldwide covered Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged it as a "special military operation," saying the offensive would "seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine."

For years, Russia has sought to blame Ukrainian actions for its invasion.

Read MoreDid Ukraine start its war with Russia, as President Donald Trump said? No, Russia invaded

Fact-checking Donald Trump’s claims about war in Ukraine

Verdict False; Claim: Zelensky is a 'dictator without elections'… Ukraine has been under martial law since the Russian invasion in February 2022, which means elections are suspended

Read MoreFact-checking Donald Trump’s claims about war in Ukraine

Fact Check: Did JD Vance Say US ‘Military Action’ Available Against Russia?

True.

JD Vance did say that "military tools of leverage" could be used if Moscow did not cooperate with the terms of a negotiation that ended fighting between Russia and Ukraine. He did rule out U.S. deployment, saying "the president is very clear that whenever he walks into negotiation, everything is on the table."

While Vance claimed his words were "twisted," a full transcript shows he did not rule out military action.

Read MoreFact Check: Did JD Vance Say US ‘Military Action’ Available Against Russia?

Fact Check: Trump Says Russia Has Lost 1.5 Million Troops In Ukraine War

There are no estimates that 1.5 million Russian soldiers have been killed and wounded since Russia invaded Ukraine. Recent analyses suggest manpower losses of around 780,000 as of early January 2025. Ukrainian government estimates from February 2025 claim 850,000 Russian troop losses. While the Ukrainian government is thought to have overcounted Russian losses and undercounted its own, some of its recent assessments have been similar to those by government and expert analyses outside of Kyiv.

An independent analyst told Newsweek that Trump's estimate of Russian losses had "no basis in reality."

Read MoreFact Check: Trump Says Russia Has Lost 1.5 Million Troops In Ukraine War

Trump’s ‘make peace or die’ message to Putin is deepfake – yet it fooled Russians

On Jan. 27, Andrey Isayev, a member of Russia's State Duma (the lower house of parliament), accused U.S. President Donald Trump of trying to "rudely" force Russian President Vladimir Putin to start peace negotiations with Ukraine. [...]

"Trump threatened our president rather rudely, it must be said, pressuring to start the negotiations and reminding of Qaddafi's fate."

The claim is false.

Read MoreTrump’s ‘make peace or die’ message to Putin is deepfake – yet it fooled Russians

No, USAID didn’t pay Hollywood actors millions to visit Ukraine

Our rating: Manipulated media
The video is a fabrication that wasn't reported or published by E! News, a company spokesperson said. The video is consistent with material created by a Russia-aligned influence campaign, disinformation experts said.

Read MoreNo, USAID didn’t pay Hollywood actors millions to visit Ukraine

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.

Read MoreMusk amplifies fake report claiming USAID paid celebrities to support Zelensky

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?'

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

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.

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