Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump ended in a showdown between the leaders at the Oval Office, prompting strong reactions from global leaders.
Before the spat between the politicians, a reporter also called out Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit to the meeting. “Why don’t you wear a suit?You’re at the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit. “Do you own a suit? A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the dignity of this office,” the reporter said.
Responding to the same, the Ukrainian President said, “I will wear a costume after this war will finish. Maybe something like yours, maybe something better, I don’t know. We will see. Maybe something cheaper.”
As discussions on the infamous meeting at the White House took centre stage, several social media users pulled out photos showing Zelenskyy in a suit while meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, founder and executive chairperson of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
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Fact Check/Verification
We decided to investigate the photos one-by-one.
Image 1
A Google Lens search on the viral image led us to a Flickr post World Economic Forum. Carrying the same image, it stated, “ Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, speaking in the “Special Address by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine” session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2020 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, January 22, 2020.” The post stated that the photo was taken and uploaded on January 22, 2020.
Stock photo website Getty Images listed multiple photos of Zelenskyy addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 22, 2020.
The photo predates Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Zelenskyy recently addressed a World Economic Forum meeting in January 2025, and was seen wearing a similar outfit that he donned during his US visit.
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Image 2
We found that the same image was listed on stock images website, Shutterstock with a description, “President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky visits France – 17 Jun 2019.”
It listed multiple such photographs showing Macron greeting Zelenskyy during his 2019 visit to France.
A similar photo was also featured on Getty Images, stating, “French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prior to their meeting at the Elysee presidential palace on June 17, 2019 in Paris, France.”
The official website of the President of Ukraine also detailed Zelenskyy’s visit to France in June 2019.
We found multiple photographs of Zelenskyy-Macron meetings, amid the current Ukraine-Russia war, and none of them showed him in a suit.
Since the 2022 Russian invasion, Zelenskyy has opted for sweatshirts, often black or olive green, bearing the Ukrainian trident symbol, instead of formal suits, even while meeting foreign leaders or addressing forums. During the 2024 meeting with former US President Joe Biden as well, Zelenskyy was seen in similar attire.
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Conclusion
The viral photos of Zelenskyy in suit while meeting Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Schwab predate the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sources
Flickr Post World Economic Forum, Dated January 22, 2020
Report By BBC, Dated February 24, 2025
Shutterstock Website
Getty Images Website
