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Claim: An X user shared a collage of pictures of world leaders alleged to have died after shaking hands with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Verdict: Misleading! DUBAWA’s inquiry into the claim reveals that not all the individuals featured in the picture collage are dead. Available data show that the only two, Pope Francis and Shinzo Abe, have died, and their deaths have no connection with meeting President Zelenskyy.
Full Text
For years, the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia has claimed the lives of thousands on both sides. Despite several interventions by world leaders, including late Pope Francis, the bloodshed between the two warring countries has continued unabated.
Following Pope Francis’ death, an X user, Histoires d’Afrique (@Silboyofficiell), shared a photo collage of red-crossed images showing President Zelenskyy shaking hands with some “world leaders.” The X, with 291,000 followers, claimed the leaders with whom Zelenskyy was shaking hands in the photo were now dead after meeting with him.
The post, written in French, is translated, “Zelenskyy, the angel of death in a suit; everyone he touches ends six feet under. Whose turn is it now?”
As of Sunday, May 4, 2025, the post has garnered 5,792 views, 35 likes, nine comments, three reposts, four quotes, and bookmarks.
Considering the claim’s sensitivity, DUBAWA verified its authenticity to forestall the spread of disinformation.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted an extensive Google Reverse Image Search to identify the individuals featured in the photo collage. The results revealed the identities of some persons, while a few others remained unidentifiable.
The first image shows President Zelenskyy meeting with Pope Francis on Oct. 11, 2024, during the Ukrainian President’s visit to the Vatican Apostolic Palace. This was the fourth meeting with the Pope since the Ukraine-Russia war began.
The second row (left to right) shows President Zelenskyy with South Korean President Yoon Suk’s surprise visit to Ukraine in 2023. Next is the image of Zelenskyy with Sanna Marin, the former Prime Minister of Finland, captured in July 2023. Zelenskyy’s photograph with an unidentified female leader in the frame follows this.
On the third row, President Zelenskyy shook Joe Biden’s hand during a peace talk meeting in 2024. Biden apologised to Zelenskyy for withholding military supplies from Ukraine. We couldn’t identify the next two people in that row.
The fourth row features President Zelenskyy meeting Recep Tayyip. Next, the Ukrainian president meets Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan, during the former’s visit to Japan in 2019. The third picture on the row shows President Zelenskyy meeting with Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, in February 2023. The meeting was to maintain friendship and support.
On the final row, Zelenskyy is pictured with former United States Vice President Kamala Harris during a peace summit in Switzerland in June 2024. Next is the image of President Zelenskyy with former United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss during the COP26 summit in Glasgow. A picture of President Zelenskyy with former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is next. The photograph was taken during their meeting in downtown Kyiv on Jun. 17, 2022.
Are all these persons dead as portrayed?
DUBAWA carried out an extensive keyword search on each of the individuals alleged to have died following their meeting with the president of Ukraine. Our findings indicate that only Pope Francis and Shinzo Abe are dead.
Pope Francis, 88, died on April 21, 2025, due to a stroke, followed by a coma and heart failure.
Meanwhile, Shinzo Abe was killed while delivering a speech in Nara City, Japan, on July 8, 2022. According to reports, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami shot Shinzo to satisfy a grudge he had against the Unification Church, an organisation with which Mr Abe had connections.
Conclusion
After DUBAWA’s careful inquiries into the identities of the world leaders President Zelenskyy met in the X post, we found that only two personalities have died, and their death is not linked to their meeting with the Ukrainian president.
