Fact Check: Does Zelensky Have 'There Is No God' Tattoo?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is no stranger to spurious and sloppy allegations.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine with Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, Newsweek has checked a range of bizarre and false claims about Zelensky, from him owning multimillion-dollar properties across the globe to calling on NATO to start a nuclear war and the many occasions he has been said to have fled Kyiv.
Russia's government tried its hand again this week, too, in a post that was interpreted by some as claiming that Zelensky had a tattoo that read: "There is no God."
The Claim
A post on X, formerly Twitter, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, on January 16, 2024, viewed 2.1 million times, suggested that Volodymyr Zelensky had a tattoo that said "There is no God."
The post included photos of Zelensky with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and a Ukrainian veteran, with a circle highlighting a tattooed hand on Sunak's shoulder.
The post said: "A picture worth a thousand words:
"'There is no God,'" says the tattoo.
"And indeed, for the unholy Kiev regime, neo-Nazis & their warmongering Western sponsors, nothing is sacred.
"Hence, the PR stunts on the bones, persecution of Orthodox Christians & murders of journalists, etc."
The Facts
In the image, the ministry circled Zelensky's hand on Sunak's shoulder. A line was drawn between this and a second photo that showed a tattooed hand resting on Sunak.
However, the ministry also included a wide shot of the second photo which showed that it was a veteran's hand and that Zelensky was about a meter away, taking a photo of the soldier and Sunak together.
While the post by the ministry did not name Zelensky, and could have been a broader comment about the two world leaders happily spending time with the "unholy," it was mocked online for suggesting Zelensky had been inked.
A comment on X by former Republican congressman and political commentator Adam Kinzinger, viewed more than 100,000 times, said: "So wait, in the setup pic is Zelensky. In the close up of the tattoo Zelensky is taking the picture.
"You guys really are bad at this. All the good trolls are dead in Ukraine evidently."
Russia-focused media outlet The Insider also posted a report on the photo, writing "Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made a false claim about Zelensky sporting a 'No God' tattoo.
The post is still online as of the time of publication. Newsweek has reached out to Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
As can be seen both in a U.K. government photostream on Flickr and a press release from the Ukrainian government, Zelensky does not have a tattoo on his hand.
According to the Ukrainian press release, Sunak spoke to veterans about where they came from, their injuries and where they'd fought.
The U.K. has pledged more than $3.1 billion in aid over the course of the coming year, according to a post by its Ministry of Defence.
The Ruling
False.
Zelensky does not have a "There is no God" tattoo on his hand. Perhaps by mistake, the pictures flagged by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs included a photo of Zelensky across the room from the person with the tattoo.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
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