After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of peace talks with U.S. diplomats, a video surfaced online showing him kneeling before a Saudi officer greeting him at the airport. The clip quickly went viral on social media, fueling claims that Zelenskyy had bowed to Saudi princes in a bid for peace without territorial concessions. These assertions gained significant traction among users. However, our investigation revealed that the claim was entirely false.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A video clip showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kneeling while greeting a group of Saudi officers at an airport has been widely shared across social media platforms.
The footage has fueled claims that the leader of the war-torn nation was prepared to bow to the Saudi King and princes in pursuit of peace, without conceding any territory to Russia.
The video clip and accompanying claims have been widely circulated on social media, sparking numerous comments and reactions, with many users believing the event to be genuine.
Below is a video clip from a Facebook post dated March 11, 2025, with the caption: “In pursuit of peace without conceding territory, the Ukrainian President is willing to bow to the Saudi King. I cannot stop crying after seeing his expression in this video.”
Below is a video captured from a Facebook post dated March 11, 2025, with the caption: “He [Zelenskyy] is willing to bow to the Saudi King to protect his territory.”
The same video clip was widely shared on TikTok and YouTube, garnering significant attention and numerous shares from social media users.
Below is a screenshot of the video clip on TikTok, accompanied by a Ukrainian caption that reads, “The President bowed to the Saudi King.”
Below is a video clip posted on YouTube on March 11, 2025, featuring an Arabic caption.
YouTube Video | Archived Link YT
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo began investigating the above-mentioned claim by conducting a Google Reverse Image Search and analysing video news reports from reputable media outlets. Through this process, the following facts were uncovered.
President Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 10, 2025, ahead of peace talks scheduled between Ukrainian diplomats and their counterparts, as reported by Al Jazeera, citing televised footage from a Saudi Arabian network.
The Qatari media network also published a photo of Zelenskyy in military attire meeting with Makkah’s Deputy Governor, Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz.
According to Al Jazeera’s report, Zelenskyy met the Saudi prince in Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea.
Below is a screenshot of the photo published by Al Jazeera on March 10, 2025, as part of a news report announcing the Ukrainian leader’s arrival in Saudi Arabia.
Al Jazeera’s Report | Archived Link
By performing a Google Reverse Image Search, we uncovered photos and videos showing Zelenskyy’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, where he was welcomed by a group of officials at the airport.
However, we found no photos or videos showing the Ukrainian President kneeling or bowing to the officials who welcomed him as he disembarked from a special flight.
We found that Zelenskyy’s arrival in Jeddah and his disembarkation from the special flight were reported by both AP and France24.
Below is a video of Zelenskyy’s arrival in Jeddah, where he was seen shaking hands with Saudi officials after disembarking from a special flight. This video was captured and published by AP.
AP News Report | Archived Link
Compared to the widely circulated video clip, it is evident that Zelenskyy was dressed in military attire of a different color, distinct from the uniform he wore during his recent arrival in Saudi Arabia.
By conducting a Google Reverse Image Search, we also discovered that Zelenskyy, dressed in grey military attire, had previously arrived in Saudi Arabia in 2023, where he was welcomed by a group of high-ranking Saudi officials at the airport.
Below is a screenshot of a photo capturing Zelenskyy’s arrival in Jeddah in 2023. In it, he is seen shaking hands with Saudi officials who welcomed him at the airport.
Telegraph’s Report | Archived Link
The French news agency AFP also covered Zelenskyy’s arrival, which confirmed that the Ukrainian leader did not kneel before the senior Saudi officials who greeted him at the airport.
Below is the full video published by the French news agency AFP on May 19, 2023. It depicts Zelenskyy’s arrival at the airport in Jeddah, where senior Saudi officials welcomed him.
AFP’s News Report | Archived Link
Meanwhile, a video clip depicting Zelenskyy kneeling before a group of Saudi officials was accompanied by a source claiming that it was generated using an artificial intelligence program called Hailuo AI.
Hailuo AI is an artificial intelligence application designed to generate video content based on user requests. It was developed by MiniMax, a technology company based in China.
The video also shows several visual discrepancies, which indicate that the footage has been regenerated using Zelensky’s visit from 2023.
We also checked keyframes from the viral video and tested them with a few AI-generated image detection models, which indicated generative content, as seen below.
CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo concluded that the above-mentioned claims are false. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was seen shaking hands with a group of senior Saudi officials who welcomed him at the airport. Video footage from various media outlets confirms that the Ukrainian leader did not kneel before the officials.
Title:Footage of Zelenskyy Bowing to Saudi King for Peace is NOT Real!
Written By: Jay UdomResult: Altered
