Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 22/10/2025; Author: Marko Vukajlović
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the United States for the third time this year.
At a meeting with Donald Trump, Zelenskyy said that Trump has the opportunity to end the war. Discussions also covered the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles and other weapons. (archived: here).
Before that, Trump spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. All of this indicates that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine are in full swing.
No sooner had Zelenskyy set foot on U.S. soil than disinformation began to circulate. One such claim said: (archived: here)
Zelenskyy was not welcomed in America by a single representative of the U.S. administration; the only people present to receive him were his pilot and his security detail.
Absolute cinema!
This narrative has spread on the Threads, as well as through regional media. The portal ALO.rs ran the headline: (archived here)
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS, THE WHOLE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT THIS: This Is How Zelenskyy Was Welcomed in America – Unprecedented Humiliation
The article states: (archived here)
“Upon his arrival in the United States, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was greeted by no one other than his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, RT reported on its Telegram channel. ‘Zelenskyy was welcomed upon arrival in the United States by… his chief of staff, Yermak,’ the publication says.
The released modest footage shows that, in addition to Yermak, the head of the Kyiv regime is greeted by individuals who appear to be wearing pilot uniforms, as well as an American general. According to the television channel, Zelenskyy may have forced the crew of his own aircraft to greet him on U.S. soil.”
However, global media broadcast footage of Zelenskyy’s landing in Washington, and the recordings clearly show that he was welcomed by several people and a red carpet. Some were dressed in civilian attire, others in uniform.
A simple search reveals that Zelenskyy was received at the airport by the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, Andriy Yermak, and others. The Embassy of Ukraine in the United States told Raskrinkavanje:
“The reception ceremony for foreign leaders follows standard protocol. On this occasion, as with all previous visits, it included: a welcome at the aircraft by U.S. officials – representatives of the Protocol Service and the Pentagon – a red carpet, an honor guard, and the raising of the national flag.
Participants in the welcoming ceremony included: Aby Jones, Deputy Chief of Protocol of the United States; Ambassador Oksana Markarova; Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mr. Andriy Yermak (whose presence is not typical for such ceremonies but was justified by his stay in Washington); a representative of the Pentagon (whose identity the Embassy is not authorized to disclose without formal approval from the Department of Defense); and the Ukrainian military attaché in the United States, Major General Borys Kremenetskyi.”
Abigail Jones previously attracted public attention in February when she welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron. (archived here) Some media portrayed this as a slight because Trump did not personally receive him.
Jones works under Monica Crowley, the White House Chief of Protocol, who has also welcomed European leaders in Washington – prompting similar media criticism that Trump did not personally welcome them. (archived: here)
From all of the above, it is clear that the President of Ukraine was welcomed by representatives of the U.S. administration, which refutes the claim made in the disputed posts. The claim is therefore rated as fake news.
The “Fake news” rating is given to an original media report (completely produced by the media that published it) that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be reliably determined to have been created and disseminated with the intent to misinform the public, that is, to present a completely false claim as fact.
