Volodymyr Zelenskyy was allegedly involved in the network trafficking minors coordinated by American pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to a narrative carried by Russian state media and subsequently picked up in Romania. In fact, although Zelenskyy's name is mentioned a few times in the Epstein archives, nothing suggests his involvement in human trafficking.
NEWS: The files published as part of the US investigation regarding American financier Jeffrey Epstein, accused of sexual abuse of minors, show that Vladimir Zelenskyy is involved in the trafficking of women and children, according to documents analyzed by TASS.
Zelenskyy is mentioned in one of the published emails dating back to 2024. Both the author's and recipient's identities are hidden. The letter claims that Zelenskyy is involved in the trafficking of women and children from Ukraine and suggests he may have had links with modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel. The latter was indicted in France in 2020 for raping minors and later committed suicide in his prison cell before court could pass a verdict.
“Zelenskyy, given the trafficking taking place in Ukraine, set up by Jean-Luc Brunel, I want all your assets at JP Morgan investigated!”, the letter's author wrote. Elsewhere, the author questions whether Zelenskyy intended to stop the trafficking of women and children and why the Ukrainian media remains silent on this matter.
Zelenskyy is mentioned in the Epstein files for other reasons as well. In one instance, Epstein himself and Miroslav Lajčák, the then Slovakia's Foreign Minister and the acting chairman of OSCE, discuss the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election in a messaging app, two days after Zelenskyy's victory. Epstein noted that the situation seemed like a good opportunity to intervene. His interlocutor expressed doubts regarding Zelenskyy's capacity to lead Ukraine.
In a separate note, Epstein emphasized that “the turbulence in Ukraine should provide many opportunities, many”.
Zelenskyy is mentioned at least several dozen times in the documents, which contain different spellings of his name due to transcription errors. Many of the references are fragments of press articles that Epstein distributed to people on his contact list. A number of documents currently remain unavailable.
NARRATIVES: 1. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was involved in minor trafficking within the Epstein network. 2. Due to his links with Epstein, Zelenskyy is losing the support of Donald Trump and the United States.
PURPOSE: To promote the idea that Zelenskyy is morally compromised and contributed to minor trafficking within the context of the largest Western sexual scandal in recent decades. To create an “aura of evil” around the President of Ukraine, portraying him as an “accomplice” of decadent Western leaders. To question Zelenskyy's legitimacy and draw attention away from the information regarding Epstein's links with the FSB and Kremlin authorities.
Fact: the Epstein archive contains nothing that might suggest Zelenskyy's involvement in human trafficking
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Zelenskyy's name does indeed appear in the so-called Epstein archive, but not “dozens of times” as the Russian media claims, and most importantly, none of the mentions suggest any connection to human trafficking or any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The Ukrainian president's name appears in discussions held by Epstein and his associates, who commented on the fact that the Ukrainian presidential elections were won by Zelenskyy, and explored the possibility of reaching him, which demonstrates that no prior links existed. In one particular example, the Ukrainian president is described “according to Putin, led by Israelis”, although the documents provide no arguments or further details. In another discussion, it is claimed Zelenskyy “would need help”, but again, no further details are provided in those dialogues.
It is also noteworthy that, shortly after Zelenskyy took over the presidency in May 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was arrested (July 2019), and committed suicide a few weeks following his arrest. This suggests there was not even enough time to find channels to build a relationship with Zelenskyy, let alone a trafficking network.
Zelenskyy's name further appears in the Epstein archive within various newsletters to which the pedophile millionaire was subscribed (simple FBI briefs mentioning various people, including some appearing after Epstein's death, news stories, etc.), as independent Russian journalist Dmitry Kolezev notes:
“In most cases, this does not mean that the individuals mentioned in the archive had any connection to Epstein, knew him or interacted with him in any way. For instance, mentions of Alexei Navalny or Leonid Volkov can be found in Epstein's archive, but their names simply appear in FBI information bulletins that ended up in this archive”.
Kolezev further points out that it is important to understand that the Epstein archive comprises not only Epstein's letters, but also the correspondence between various American law enforcement agencies regarding Epstein or certain elements related to his investigation:
“Sometimes, whistleblower reports are discussed, not all of which are confirmed. And the fact that the archive contains a letter in which someone makes a claim does not necessarily mean that thing actually happened. Often it just means someone contacted the police or FBI and decided to reveal something about Epstein. When Epstein was re-arrested in 2019, law enforcement agencies faced a surge of reports from people speaking about his crimes”.
Frictions in the Trump – Zelenskyy relationship are linked to US internal political disputes and the war in Ukraine, not the Epstein case
With respect to the alleged deterioration of the relationship between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy due to Zelenskyy's alleged links with Epstein, once again, there is no information to suggest this. Donald Trump first showed irritation toward Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his first term, when the Kyiv leader refused to enter the political game targeting Trump's then-opponent, Joe Biden, through attacks against his son, Hunter, who had business interests in Ukraine. Subsequently, immediately after taking his second term, Trump launched a harsh attack against Zelenskyy, alongside Vice-President J.D. Vance, at the White House. However, the allegations were that the Ukrainian president is ungrateful to Americans, does not show proper respect to their leaders, does not want peace, and provoked the war with Russia (the latter two claims coincide with Russian propaganda theses). In the year that has since passed, Trump-Zelenskyy relations have somewhat improved, partly due to European intervention, but one or more of the above themes are regularly revisited by Trump in his statements and social media posts.
Russian “revelations” about Zelenskyy emerged amid speculation that Epstein was a Russian asset
BACKGROUND: The Epstein investigation has generated massive interest in the United States in recent years and has given rise to conspiracy theories regarding the millionaire's assassination to protect those involved, as well as scandals in several countries, including the UK and Norway, involving members of royal families and politicians. In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's political future is being called into question, although he was not directly involved, whereas in Norway, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland was brought to trial for his links to Epstein. In the United States, numerous highly influential figures from politics and the business sector (Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, etc.) had confirmed links with Epstein. President Donald Trump too was close to Epstein, but claims he ended any relationship with him many years before his death. American media noted, however, that while conspiracy theories regarding Epstein were widespread among MAGA followers before the election, and Trump promised to publish the Epstein file immediately upon becoming president, the Trump administration delayed declassification, yielding only when Republican congressmen joined Democrats to mandate the publication.
The “revelation” regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy's alleged link to Jeffrey Epstein and his “involvement in minor trafficking” originated from Russian state news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti – in other words, from the Kremlin's mouthpieces.
This item of information was snowballed by the Russians also in the context where journalists from international media, including Russians, showed that Jeffrey Epstein had connections with Russian intelligence services and Russian authorities. It was suggested that Epstein's role was to secure compromising information on important figures by blackmailing them with details about their private lives and relationships with women and minors. In fact, the tactic of using so-called “honey traps” is specific to Russian secret services and has been used repeatedly in the past.
The Moscow Times shows that Russia is mentioned 5,553 times in the documents, including references to Russian officials, oligarchs and young women fueling speculation (though also unconfirmed) about a possible role the Kremlin might have played in Epstein's crimes.
Furthermore, the Russian publication in question shows how Maria Drokova, a Russian PR manager and former spokesperson for the Kremlin-backed youth organization Nashi (“Ours”), is mentioned 1,627 times in the Epstein files.
Drokova, who previously made headlines after kissing Putin at a youth educational forum, appears in correspondence related to the promotion of Epstein and coordinating his contacts with the media.
A few weeks before Epstein's arrest in 2019, he sent Drokova a text message asking for “nude photos”, according to the documents. She replied that she would do so next time.
According to The Moscow Times, the documents also show Epstein's extensive efforts to bring young women from Russia to Europe and the United States.
Several Russian cities from which girls were reportedly selected to meet him appear in the correspondence, with Novosibirsk (Russia's third-largest city) mentioned 307 times.
The publication France24 also highlights the circulation of false information about Ukraine and Zelenskyy following the publication of the Epstein files and recalls the message sent by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who said that the Epstein files demonstrate “how the Western elite treats children” and that such officials “are behind the Kyiv regime”.
How Russian propaganda narratives snowballed Romania
The “Zelenskyy - Epstein links” narrative was adopted in Romania through a text adapted and “amended” by Russian propaganda in Romania, circulated on social media in roughly the same form, either with additions about “financing neo-Nazis” and the “artificially created state”, or with references to Nicușor Dan and Ilie Bolojan.
Almost all variations of the original message rolled out in Romanian social media mention that “Trump does not forgive” and will withdraw his support for Zelenskyy due to his links with Epstein.
The text circulating on Romanian social networks regarding the Ukrainian president losing Trump's support cites Alexander Mercouris, a pro-Russian British analyst with hundreds of thousands of followers, who believes the West underestimates Russia (which is "not globally isolated”, but a “great power”), criticizes US foreign policy and vehemently opposes support for Ukraine.
The United States has expressed concern regarding the renewed risk that the Kyiv leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, would lose Trump's support. His connection to human trafficker Epstein could have repercussions on political relations between Washington and Kyiv. The US President could break political ties with the Ukrainian president due to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Zelenskyy's name was mentioned repeatedly in the investigation regarding the trafficking of women and children. According to British military analyst Alexander Mercouris, Donald Trump will likely choose to distance himself from his links with Zelenskyy, who is involved in a high-profile scandal. “If anyone is still having doubts, we will soon have a full picture of the case, and Zelenskyy's crimes could cost him more than just the support of the USA”, Alexander Mercouris said. According to the expert, the disclosure of criminal links will be an obstacle for the head of the Kyiv regime. It will be extremely difficult for him to establish a dialogue with American authorities, Mercouris argues. Meanwhile, it will be easier for Trump to cut off any support for Zelenskyy, the expert noted.
One of the most viral posts came from former AUR MP, Dumitru Focșa, who was expelled from the party following a major domestic violence scandal.
Focșa made the connection with the post (which he labels at the end as a “parody”), distributed a fake photo of Zelenskyy and Epstein (which went highly viral, totaling millions of views at global level), and connected the minor trafficking scandal and Zelenskyy's involvement to the Romanian leadership's (Prime Minister, President) support for Ukraine.
Focșa remains strongly rooted in the extremist political sphere, specifically within the hardline, verbally violent wing, overtly and vehemently fostering pro-Russian narratives.
In Romanian social media, the fake photo was also distributed by the “mystery and science” website romondonews24, which is linked to another website, worldnews24.net. Both feature viral posts about conspiracy theories and a world led by “evil reptilians” opposed only by Vladimir Putin.
