The power of the image is undeniable and is often an effective means of conveying messages and opinions. But what happens if, as is currently the case, this picture of Volodymyr Zelensky is manipulated or even faked? The renowned German business and financial medium Handelsblatt is currently experiencing such a situation, and not for the first time. At the beginning of July 2023 we reported on a fake front page of the Handelsblatt.
The fake image of the Handelsblatt and Volodymyr Selenskyj

The questionable image shows a caricature of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaching for a door marked with a NATO emblem and seemingly inaccessible. It appears to come from a July 2023 weekend edition of the Handelsblatt, but is circulating online as a digital copy.
The cartoon shows Volodymyr Zelensky, his head tied with a band to which a stick is attached, holding up the NATO door. It's almost as if the NATO door is literally floating above his head - always out of reach, no matter how hard he stretches.
A critical message
In the upper right corner of the picture you can see another caricature: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The image is complemented by a headline in German that asks readers to “reconsider” Volodymyr Zelenskyj’s abilities as president. This is a clear message and an obvious swipe at the political leadership of the Ukrainian president.
It's a fake!
Despite the image's viral spread and the powerful statement it makes, there is one problem: the front page is a fake. Sebastian Matthes, the editor-in-chief of the Handelsblatt, confirmed that the picture did not come from her house. In addition, the medium announced on Twitter that several fake front pages were circulating. However, authentic editions can be viewed at any time on the Handelsblatt website.
Recently, there has been an increasing number of fake front pages circulating in various media outlets. We at Handelsblatt are also affected by this. Therefore, a note on our own behalf: You can always find the cover of our current issue here https://t.co/A4elpEwN9q .
— Handelsblatt (@handelsblatt) July 13, 2023
The difference between truth and fake
A look at the digital archives of the Handelsblatt shows that no such cover photo exists. The real cover, released on July 14, bears no similarities to the fake version. And even more interesting: When you search the Handelsblatt’s social media channels, the controversial cover page doesn’t appear either.
Here is the original cover photo of the issue from July 14, 2023 ( source )

Fake news and its consequences
This case shows once again how important it is to critically question information and check its origin. The cover's fabrication began to spread as Volodymyr Zelensky attended a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania - an indication of how quickly and deliberately false information can be spread to promote or undermine particular narratives.
Conclusion: The supposed front page of the Handelsblatt is demonstrably false. It was not published by the Handelsblatt itself and the forgery has caused some confusion in the context of current events. The lesson remains how important it is to conduct fact checks and obtain information from reliable sources. This incident once again underlines the importance of media literacy and critical thinking in our digital world.
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

