Did Zelensky really spit at the feet of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden after a handshake rejection? Fact Check
Claim: A video allegedly shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spitting at the feet of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf after his handshake was rejected.
Conclusion: The claim is false. Zelensky did not spit at the feet of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and the video has been shown in a way to portray a false narrative. The full version of the video shows both of them shaking hands later and the Ukrainian press has debunked this claim.
Rating: False 
Several social media users have shared a clip, claiming that it showcases Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky’s handshake being refused by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. X user ‘RT_com’ shared such a post with the caption : “Zelensky appears to spit toward feet of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf after the king refused to shake his hand. Carl XVI Gustaf just stared in disbelief. The internet is now debating whether Zelensky really spat or not.” Attached to the post is a 19 second video which allegedly showcases this action. View the post below –
Zelensky appears to spit toward feet of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf after the king refused to shake his hand
Carl XVI Gustaf just stared in disbelief
The internet is now debating whether Zelensky really spat or not https://t.co/XZhACFexVj
— RT (@RT_com) October 22, 2026
Other users have shared similar claims that can be seen here and here
FACT CHECK
DigitEYE India decided to investigate this claim and found it to be false. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky did not spit at Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and the footage is shown in a way to create a misleading impression. Shaking hands portion is not shown in the claimed video.The original video clearly shows the two exchanging a handshake, and Ukrainian press have also dismissed the claim as false.
We first conducted a reverse image search on various keyframes of the video to find the full length footage. The search took us to a Youtube video uploaded by ‘Суспільне Новини’ on 17 April 2026, titled (translated into English) : KING OF SWEDEN in Ukraine | Video of his meeting with Zelensky in Lviv.” At 0:27 timestamp of the video, both Zelensky and the King of Sweden can be seen shaking hands before their speech. View a screenshot of this below –
Another search result took us to a Youtube video uploaded by ‘War Live 24’ on 18 April 2026, titled : “Unexpected guest in Ukraine! NO ONE expected this — watch Zelenskyy’s reaction. VIDEO.” At 3:42, both the leaders can be seen shaking hands. There is no credible evidence or proof that Zelensky spat at the feet of the King or offended him. Zelensky is clearly seen breathing out.
Following this, we conducted a web search to get verified reports about the event alongside some images. Reuters has uploaded the video of this interaction where both the leaders can be seen shaking hands at the 0:03 timestamp. The report further observes that Zelensky thanked Sweden for “the new, robust programme to strengthen the defence of our airspace…air fleet of Swedish-made Gripen aircraft.” In response to this, King Carl XVI Gustaf praised the “courage” of Zelensky, calling him “a great leader for Ukraine…” View a section of the report below –
Lastly, we examined whether Ukraine had officially debunked the claim or issued a response. On 24 October 2026, Ukrinform, Ukraine’s national news agency, published a report debunking the claim. Furthermore, a photo gallery published on the official website of the President of Ukraine on 17 April 2026 features several images of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden shaking hands and engaging in conversation.
Thus, the claim is false.
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