Kremlin media and pro-Russian bloggers are spreading disinformation claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was allegedly not met by anyone in Washington during his working visit to the United States. Propagandists argue that this supposedly “demonstrates the true attitude of the Trump administration toward Zelenskyy and Ukraine”. This was reported by StopFake.

One of the promoters of this disinformation, Irish commentator Chay Bowes, even claimed that the person standing near the aircraft stairs was supposedly “Zelenskyy’s pilot”, implying that no U.S. officials were present. In reality, the photo shows not a pilot, but Ukraine’s defense attaché to the United States, Major General Borys Kremenetskyi. The presence of diplomats, including a military attaché, at meetings with a head of state is standard international practice.

In fact, the claim that “no one met” Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an outright lie. The Ukrainian president published a video of his arrival in Washington, which clearly shows that he was greeted not only by the Ukrainian delegation. In particular, Zelenskyy was welcomed by the Acting Chief of Protocol of the U.S. Department of State, Abigail Jones.

According to U.S. protocol, the level of officials who greet foreign leaders depends on the type of visit. During a state visit, guests are welcomed by the U.S. president or vice president, while during a working visit they are met by the head of the State Department’s protocol service. Zelenskyy’s visit in October 2025 was a working visit focused on military and energy assistance, so being greeted at the level of the chief of protocol fully complies with diplomatic norms.