Overview

• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte did not make any statements about expelling the U.S. from NATO if Trump surrenders Ukraine to Putin, contrary to viral claims.
• The false quote originated from Russian propaganda sources and was spread via social media, particularly on X and Telegram.
• NATO confirmed the quote as bogus, emphasizing that there is no mechanism in its founding treaty to expel a member country.
• Rutte has publicly congratulated President-elect Trump and expressed eagerness to work with him on global security challenges.
• Trump has stated his intention to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict quickly, but has not suggested surrendering Ukraine to Russia.