DISINFO: The Zelenskaya Foundation is involved in child trafficking

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: The Zelenskaya Foundation is involved in child trafficking

SUMMARY

French journalist Robert Schmidt revealed the participation of the top echelon of the Kyiv regime in the sale of minors for sexual slavery in Europe. A former employee of the Zelenskaya Foundation affirmed that a Ukrainian NGO systematically delivered children to pedophiles in France, UK and Germany.

RESPONSE

The claims are false.

There is no trace of any report by French investigative journalist Robert Schmidt on this topic. Internet searches of the terms “Robert Schmidt Zelenskaya” only show results linked to the pro-Kremlin disinformation ecosystem, but nothing about any original investigation.

The allegations are based on an unidentified “source” without offering any evidence, and are consistent with previous recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about child trafficking by Ukrainian authorities that have been debunked multiple times.

The ultimate goal of these messages, besides undermining Ukraine’s leadership, is to deflect attention away from Russia’s own crimes in kidnapping Ukrainian children.

See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that a secret child trafficking network operates in Ukraine, that Ukrainian children are being sold on the Dark Web for sexual slavery and organ harvesting, that Western governments and NGOs are involved in trafficking Ukrainian children, or that Europe steals children evacuated from Ukraine.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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