The video circulating with the claim that “Russia is taking Ukrainian territory from the U.S.” was edited and taken out of context. In the original footage, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte underscores the importance of a strong and independent Ukraine, stating that Russia “must never again try to take even a single square kilometer” of its territory. The manipulated clip distorts his message, which focused on defending Ukraine’s sovereignty—not attributing its land to any foreign power.
A video titled “A secret clause of the U.S.-Ukraine agreement revealed, NATO Secretary General claims Russia is taking Ukrainian land from the Americans” has been widely circulated on social media and by Russian state-affiliated outlets. The clip, allegedly from the NATO Public Forum, falsely portrays NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte as saying that Ukrainian territory is “American property” and that Russia is “trying to seize it from the United States.”
The viral video claims that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said, “We must ensure that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin can no longer take even a kilometer of Ukrainian territory from the Americans.”
The video circulating across Russian media and social platforms is a manipulated deepfake, generated using media synthesis technology. It repurposes genuine footage from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s June 24, 2025, address at the NATO Public Forum in The Hague, altering his remarks to fabricate a false narrative.
In his original remarks, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte outlined the conditions for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine based on democratic principles. He stated that Russia had shown no seriousness in previous negotiations to end the war and made clear that Moscow has no intention of halting its aggression. Rutte stressed that, in response, NATO allies must ensure Ukraine is fully equipped to resist the occupiers and positioned as strongly as possible—both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
“We have to make sure that whatever the long-term ceasefire or the peace deal on Ukraine will be, that it is lasting, that it is durable, that Vladimir Putin will never ever try again to catch one square kilometer—or, for the Americans, one square mile—of Ukrainian territory,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said during his remarks (watch the video at 17:54–18:12).
Pro-Kremlin outlets selectively edited this fragment, sparking a flood of disinformation clips online. In reality, Rutte made no comments about “U.S.-owned Ukrainian territory.” His remark was simply a clarification for American colleagues unfamiliar with the metric system.
Russia continues to actively manipulate the discourse around peace negotiations and ending its war against Ukraine. While projecting a willingness to talk, Moscow in practice obstructs any genuine efforts that could move the region closer to a just resolution. For deeper analysis, see StopFake’s investigations into related disinformation, including: Fake: NATO Chief Rutte “Ukraine Should Fight Until 2030”, Manipulation: Ukraine Does Not Plan to Sign Any Documents with Moscow, Fake: U.S. and U.K. Announce Military Intervention in Ukraine, and Fake: Czech General Staff Confirm Plans to Deploy Troops to Ukraine.
