Category Disinformation

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

Fake: Ukraine ‘Attacked IAEA Officials with Drones and Artillery’

Social media and Russian websites are spreading claims that Ukraine has attacked a convoy of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The claim was made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. [...]

In reality, the attack on the IAEA representatives during their rotation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was carried out by the Russian army. Verified geolocation data confirms that Russian strike systems were active in the area during the movement of IAEA personnel to the plant, specifically near the settlement of Kamianske. No activity of Ukrainian strike systems was recorded in this area on the day of the rotation of IAEA representatives.

Read MoreFake: Ukraine ‘Attacked IAEA Officials with Drones and Artillery’

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

Where Is the Missing $100 Billion in U.S. Aid for Ukraine?

On February 2, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he had only received $75 billion of the $175 billion the United States had spent on Ukraine. The cry went up, what happened to the other $100 billion? Was it lost or stolen? The answer is no. Only part of the aid goes through Ukrainian control. A large part pays for activities as a result of the war but not to Ukraine directly. These include the United States training of Ukrainian forces, global humanitarian assistance, additional costs of U.S. surge forces in Europe, and intelligence support for both NATO and Ukraine.

As CSIS has reported before, "aid to Ukraine" is a misnomer because 90 percent of military aid is spent in the United States. Of aid overall, 60 percent is spent in the United States, about 25 percent is spent in Ukraine, and the final 15 percent is spent globally.

Read MoreWhere Is the Missing $100 Billion in U.S. Aid for Ukraine?

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

Where Is the Missing $100 Billion in U.S. Aid for Ukraine?

On February 2, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he had only received $75 billion of the $175 billion the United States had spent on Ukraine. The cry went up, what happened to the other $100 billion? Was it lost or stolen? The answer is no. Only part of the aid goes through Ukrainian control. A large part pays for activities as a result of the war but not to Ukraine directly. These include the United States training of Ukrainian forces, global humanitarian assistance, additional costs of U.S. surge forces in Europe, and intelligence support for both NATO and Ukraine.

As CSIS has reported before, "aid to Ukraine" is a misnomer because 90 percent of military aid is spent in the United States. Of aid overall, 60 percent is spent in the United States, about 25 percent is spent in Ukraine, and the final 15 percent is spent globally.

Read MoreWhere Is the Missing $100 Billion in U.S. Aid for Ukraine?

False claims USAID paid celebs to visit Ukraine linked to Russian disinformation campaign

WHAT WAS CLAIMED: E! News published a video stating celebrities received funds from USAID to visit Ukraine.

OUR VERDICT: False. The video is fake and there's no evidence USAID funded the visits.

Read MoreFalse claims USAID paid celebs to visit Ukraine linked to Russian disinformation campaign

Fake: USAID Funded Hollywood Celebrities’ Visits to Ukraine During War – E!News

The E!News portal never published such a story, and the widely circulated news is fake, debunked by both the media and the celebrities who visited Ukraine.

Read MoreFake: USAID Funded Hollywood Celebrities’ Visits to Ukraine During War – E!News

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

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