Bill Gates. russian propaganda. Ukrainian news. assistance to Ukraine

Pro-russian social media users are spreading an excerpt from an alleged interview with US businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates on NBC, in which he ‘admitted’ that Ukraine had stolen billions of dollars in US aid. When asked by the host about his attitude to Elon Musk's political influence, Gates allegedly replied: "Musk has the right pressure, the right rage to deal with the theft of American billions in Ukraine. You know, after all, Ukrainian generals have these mansions from somewhere..." In fact, this video is a fake. 

Propagandists, probably using artificial intelligence technology, changed Bill Gates' words to mislead users. Stopfake managed to find Gates' original interview with NBC for the Today programme. It was published on 4 February 2025. In it, the Microsoft founder talks to the programme's host Savannah Guthrie about his new book, Source Code, and the beginning of his career. He also discusses his views on Elon Musk, his relationship with Donald Trump, and his personal life.
In the original interview, Savannah Guthrie actually asks Gates about his attitude to ‘the amount of power Musk now has in the American government’. Gates calls Musk a successful businessman, but also expresses doubts about whether he fully understands the importance of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In his interview with NBC, Bill Gates does not mention Ukraine at all, let alone talk about the alleged ‘embezzlement of American aid by the Ukrainian authorities’. This narrative is part of the kremlin's propaganda aimed at undermining the trust in Ukraine on the part of its international partners, including the United States.
In addition, the fake interview contains a link to another disinformation piece about Ukrainian generals allegedly buying expensive mansions in the United States. This fake was actively spread by russian propaganda resources on 11 January against the backdrop of large-scale fires in Los Angeles.
Despite the numerous fakes on this topic, none of the official bodies of the countries assisting Ukraine has any evidence of the embezzlement of foreign aid by the Ukrainian government.
Based on materials by Stopfake.org