Shortly after Trump declared victory in the election earlier this month, a photo emerged showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appearing to cry while standing next to current US President Joe Biden. This image has received a mixed reaction from social media users. However, after conducting a Google Reverse Image Search, we discovered that the photos are digitally altered.
Social Media Claim
A photo shared on the Facebook platform appears to show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky crying while standing next to US President Joe Biden. The post is accompanied by a caption suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin caused Zelensky to cry “like a baby.”
This post, which has gained attention online, was originally shared by a Facebook user who humorously stated, “Putin makes Zelensky cry like a baby,” further fueling the viral spread of this misleading image.
The same photo, along with the identical claim, has also been observed and shared by another X user. This repetition highlights the viral nature of the image and its ability to spread across different platforms.
For more information and specifics regarding this post, you can find the details below.
Similarly, the image of a crying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned earlier, was recently discovered and shared on YouTube. In this video, he is seen standing alongside US President Joe Biden, further fueling the spread of misleading or altered content across social media.
The exact video above has also been found and published on a Moldova news website. It shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an emotional moment, appearing to cry while standing near US President Joe Biden.
Moldova News Report | Archived Link
Given the claim’s extensive dissemination and the considerable attention, it has received from the internet community, we believed it was necessary to perform a fact-check on the above subject.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo monitors and verifies these photos through the Google Reverse Image Search process, which leads us to find the truth as follows:
An exact scene was found and posted on the YouTube channel “The Independent” in December 2022, showing when Joe Biden welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House during the Ukrainian leader’s first overseas visit since the beginning of the war.
In this footage, it is clear that the Ukrainian leader did not cry, contrary to the claims made in the post.
The scene of the Ukrainian leader’s official visit to the US, where he met with US President Joe Biden in December 2022, was also captured and published by Getty Images.
There was no scene in which the Ukrainian leader is seen standing alongside President Biden, crying.
The following is the comparison image between the original and the altered one.
Manipulated videos and images can spread misinformation online. This content distorts reality, misleads viewers, and influences public perception. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the authenticity of visual media critically before sharing.
The Fact Crescendo team has been diligently verifying claims and images, identifying those that have been edited and contributing to user confusion.
Our work underscores the importance of discerning accurate information in today’s digital landscape, as misinformation can have serious consequences for public understanding and trust.
For more information and detailed insights, please read our stories here, here, and here.
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Conclusion
Fact Crescendo revealed that the photo shared on social media has been digitally altered. The original video was captured during the Ukrainian leader’s official visit to the U.S. in December 2022. In the footage, it is evident that he did not cry, contrary to the claims made in the viral post.
Title:Ukrainian Leader’s Crying Scene Found to Be Altered
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo TeamResult: Altered
