Russian propaganda invents fake claim that Zelensky wore platform shoes at EU summit

Accounts on X, Telegram, Facebook, and TikTok have been spreading an image allegedly showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wearing platform shoes during the recent European Council summit. According to propagandists, the Ukrainian leader supposedly wanted to appear "taller."

This is fake. The image was most likely altered using artificial intelligence.

In other photos from the summit, including those showing Zelensky's meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa, Zelensky's shoes look completely different.

Video footage of the meeting, published on the official account of the European Council, also confirms that Zelensky was wearing shoes with thin soles.

Moreover, in other images from the summit, Costa is clearly seen wearing glasses – which are missing in the doctored image. AI-generated pictures often omit or add extra elements, leading to such inconsistencies.

It is worth noting that it is actually Russian leader Vladimir Putin who is known for wearing shoes with hidden lifts to appear taller. Journalists have repeatedly documented this at various events.

This fake was intended to discredit the Ukrainian president in the eyes of the international audience. Russian propagandists sought to divert attention from Ukraine's diplomatic successes in Brussels.

Russian propaganda had previously circulated fakes about Zelensky's visit to Washington.

Andriy Olenin