The truth behind photo of Volodymyr Zelensky as people think he 'wore his trousers backwards'
A picture of Volodymr Zelensky has gone viral after eagle-eyed social media users pointed out that the Ukrainian leader appeared to be wearing his trousers backwards.
A series of images show Zelensky standing alongside his wife Olena Zelenska while greeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in Kiev on Saturday.
Internet sleuths believe he is wearing his trousers the wrong way around as a zipper can be seen on his backside.
'Zelensky put his pants on backwords,' one X account wrote alongside an image of the Ukrainian leader.
Social media users were quick to react to the post, with one commenting: 'This is hilarious.'
Another said: 'Maybe he shouldn't wear suits.'
A third suggested that he might have 'split his pants.'
Although it has been speculated the Ukrainian leader was wearing his trousers back to front, this has not been confirmed.
Internet sleuths believe he is wearing his trousers the wrong way around as a zipper can be seen on his backside
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) speaks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) at The Presidential Palace in Kyiv on May 10, 2025, after a meeting of European leaders in the Ukrainian capital, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The image was captured when when Zelensky met with European leaders in the Ukrainian capital over the weekend.
Intrigue over Zelensky's attire comes after French president Macron was caught in the middle of fake internet allegations after pro-Russia social media accounts accused him of hiding a bag of white powder while travelling to Ukraine.
Macron, Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met on aboard a train to travel from Poland to Kiev on Friday to visit Zelensky and to pressure Russia into agreeing to a ceasefire.
While posing for a photo, the French leader was filmed subtly grabbing a white item off the table and discretely concealing it under his arm.
Pro-Russian keyboard warriors were quick to fuel wild conspiracy theories claiming that Macron had stashed away a bag of cocaine.
'Macron, Starmer and Merz caught on video on their return from Kiev. A bag of white powder on the table. Macron quickly pockets it, Merz hides the spoon. No explanation given,' one X account posted.
But the French government quickly blasted the false claim, clarifying that the item on the table was a tissue.
'When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs,' the Elysee said in an X post on Sunday night.
'This fake news is being spread by France's enemies, both abroad and at home. We must remain vigilant against manipulation.'
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, and Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz are pictured during a conference call with US President Donald Trump in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, May 10, 2025, during a summit of the Coalition of the Willing
The European powers also threatened Putin with 'massive new sanctions' if he did not accept
The European powers threw their weight behind an unconditional 30-day ceasefire over the weekend and threatened Russian leader Vladimir Putin with 'massive new sanctions' if he did not accept.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine set the start of the ceasefire for May 12 at a meeting in Kyiv, during which they held a phone call with US President Donald Trump.
'So all of us here together with the U.S. are calling Putin out. If he is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it,' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a press conference.
'No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays.'
Soon after the European leaders' announcement, the Kremlin appeared to pour scorn on it.
'We hear many contradictory statements from Europe. They are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations. Nothing more,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Interfax.
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