FACT CHECK: Did German Satire Magazine Feature Caricature of Zelenskyy?
An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows a cover from German satire magazine Titanic with a caricature of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Verdict: False
The cover is digitally fabricated. A spokesperson for the magazine denied the authenticity of the cover.
Fact Check:
Russian attacks on Ukraine that utilized cruise missiles and Iranian-made drones have left power plants and over 1.4 million Ukrainian homes without power, Business Insider reported. Zelenskyy has also criticized Israel for not providing their “iron dome” defense systems as Russia continues airstrikes, Al Jazeera reported.
The Facebook image appears to show an unflattering caricature of Zelenskyy with the headline, “Eternal Appetite.” The cover appears to show Zelesnkyy with a black hole-shaped mouth consuming multiple currencies, tanks and weapons.
“Zelensky black hole,” the post’s caption reads. “Or an eternal appetite that swallows an endless stream of European taxpayers’ money and America’s stock This is how the German “Titanic” magazine described Ukrainian President Vladimir #Zelensky in a caricature on its main cover.”
The cover is digitally fabricated. There are no credible news reports that supports this claim. There is no such cover appearing anywhere on ‘Titanic’s’ social media accounts. Likewise, this cover is not found on their website.
The original cover for the magazine’s October 2022 edition does not mention Zelenskyy or the Ukraine war at all. Rather, the cover features an image of King Charles with the cover reading “This is how Germany suffered under the British crown” when translated.
Julia Mateus, a spokesperson for Titanic Magazine, confirmed to Check Your Fact via email that the cover was not published by the outlet. (RELATED: Did Justin Trudeau Tweet About Limiting Sexual Partners Due To Monkeypox?)
This is not the first time politicians have been the center of fake news reports shared on social media. Check Your Fact recently debunked a post claiming CBC reported that Trudeau’s son has come out as transgender.
