FAKE: Leaked conversation of Zelenskyi with his wife, in which he criticizes Western partners

An audio clip is circulating online in which Volodymyr Zelenskyi allegedly criticizes Ukraine’s allies in a conversation with his wife, Olena Zelenska. He allegedly claims that the allies force him to fight corruption in the country, but without corruption, the presidential administration will supposedly collapse because everyone in Ukraine is currently stealing. The source of the recording is attributed to The Intel Drop.

However, this is a fake – during the conversation, Volodymyr Zelenskyi switches between Ukrainian and Russian, pronouncing Ukrainian words in a Russian manner and vice versa. Olena Zelenska consistently speaks Ukrainian as if she doesn’t know the Russian language.

The original source of the recording is indeed The Intel Drop – a publication known for disseminating anti-Ukrainian and disinformation articles, as well as quoting statements from the Russian leadership. The media outlet’s “About Us” section on its website lacks detailed information, mentioning only that it was founded in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Additionally, throughout the conversation, the person impersonating the President of Ukraine struggles to pronounce Ukrainian words correctly. In the actor’s performance, these words sound as follows: “закінчів,” “пєрєміґ,” “батьківщіну,” “разуміїш.” (all these words sound unnaturally for Ukrainian). The actress portraying Olena Zelenska also lacks proficiency in Ukrainian, pronouncing words with an accent and in a Russian manner, such as “в іхніх інтересах, шоб ти пєрєміґ,” “нємажліва,” “разумію.” However, in reality, both the president and the first lady of Ukraine are fluent in the Ukrainian language. Moreover, it is unlikely that a couple would speak different languages during private conversations.

Additionally, Volodymyr Zelenskyi purportedly asserts, “They [Ukraine’s partners] seriously want me to defeat corruption. What nonsense… In fact, without corruption, the entire administration would just collapse.” According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index in 2022, Ukraine ranked 116 out of 180 countries, where the first places are occupied by countries with the lowest perception of corruption. In 2021, Ukraine held the 122nd position. Furthermore, in its 2023 report, the European Commission stated that Ukraine has made some progress in combating corruption. This includes the creation and consolidation of a comprehensive anti-corruption institutional framework and the gradual accumulation of results in investigations, legal prosecutions, and judicial decisions in high-level corruption cases.