Is it true that Zelensky put on his pants backward at a meeting with European leaders?

In May 2025, a photograph of the Ukrainian president, shot during a visit to the allies to Kyiv, was widely spread. According to this picture, the media and Telegram channels concluded that the politician put the pants incorrectly. We checked the reliability of such publications.

The photograph of the President of Ukraine was encouraged on May 10, after his meeting with European leaders in Kyiv. On it, Vladimir Zelensky, with his wife Elena, stand their back to the photographer and welcome the British Prime Minister Kira Starmer. At the same time, the trousers of Zelensky from the back look strange - the fold resembles a fly, from which the authors of publications concluded that the president of Ukraine incorrectly put on his pants. This photograph became the subject of many ridicule, it was distributed with signatures like "building relations with Western partners is more successful when the width is behind." 

They wrote about the alleged embarrassment "RIA Novosti" URA.RU, "Moscow Komsomolets","Komsomolskaya Truth" News.ru and other media. Some published several notes at once, such as a “notebook” (1,2) and "Tsargrad" (1,2), and “Arguments and Facts”, in addition to the news about the trousers of the Ukrainian president, released two separate material with the comments of stylists (1,2,3). The photo was actively discussed in Telegram channels, among which "Live broadcast • News"(874,000 views at the time of writing this analysis),"Pozdnyakov 3.0"(449 000),"V /// DE"(344,000),"Dmitry Nicotin"(314,000),"Observer"(230,000) and"The world of Mikhail Onufrienko"(228 000).

May 10 to Kyiv Profit German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Cyrus Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Before the negotiations, the President of Ukraine, together with his wife and senior guests, honored the memory of those who died at the front of the memorial in Independence Square in the city center.

Judging by the fact that the viral photo was shot on the street and Elena Zelenskaya is present on it, the picture was taken just during this ceremony. The photo itself is blurred and poor in quality, but the fold on the back of the pants, indeed, resembles an unfastened fly. 

However, only this picture is posted as evidence of Zelensky's mistake. As a rule, such events are widely covered in the media, therefore, if the Ukrainian leader puts on his pants incorrectly, this should be noticeable in many photos and videos removed from different angles. Reports from that ceremony were published by the largest international media, including Deutsche Welle, Sky News And AFP. These videos show how Zelensky walks along the street and in front his trousers look normal. If the pants were worn backwards, characteristic elements (for example, rear pockets) would be visible from the front side, but they are not. 

Part of the media who has shared a viral photo refers to the British Daily Mail tabloid. May 12 he Published Note under the heading: "Truth about the photograph of Vladimir Zelensky, on which, as people thought, he" put on his trousers backwards. " The text of the article says that Internet users who showed the zipper on the back of the president’s trousers were mistaken-dozens of photos from other angles, which the newspaper also attached this to the publication. However, other media and Telegram channels did not stop refusing to refer to the Daily Mail as the source of the statement about incorrectly worn pants. 

Moreover, the tabloid posted a photograph of Reuters, shot from almost the same angle as a viral picture, but in the best quality. It can be seen on it that at the back on the pants of Zelensky there is no lightning and front pockets. The same is confirmed by photographs from the website of the President of Ukraine - on one of them the politician is depicted in profile, and on his trousers the front pockets located in the right place are noticeable.

Although many indicated the Daily Mail as the source, the tabloid website says that initially rumors about incorrectly worn pants began to be distributed by users of social networks. Indeed, in X And Telegram channels A photograph with a similar signature appeared two days earlier, on the day of the summit in Kyiv on May 10. 

Due to the variety of formulations in the signatures to the photo, it is difficult to establish who was the first to publish it with misleading comments. The earliest publication that managed to find "verified", appeared May 10 at 18:32 Moscow time in the Sheikh Tamir Telegram channel, soon this information diverged through other channels and social networks-as on Russian, and on English language. "Sheikh Tamir" often Found In the analysis of “tested” as the source and fake distributor. 

The clothing of the Ukrainian president is not the first to become the subject of manipulation. Since the beginning of a full -scale war in 2022, Zelensky does not appear in public in costumes that are familiar to politicians, instead he wears shirts, jackets, hoodies and T -shirts in the style of the militarians in solidarity with the Ukrainian military. Pro -Russian Media, Officials And Bloggers Often focus on this. The fact that Zelensky did not put on a suit in the White House in February 2025 became the subject Critics from American politicians and some journalists. 

Thus, contrary to viral publications, at a summit with European politicians in Kyiv on May 10, trousers on Vladimir Zelensky were properly worn. This is confirmed by other photos and videos filmed that day. 

Photo on the cover: Office of the President of Ukraine

Not true

What do our verdicts mean?

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