“Lost for words”: the king of Sweden humiliated Zelensky during a visit to Ukraine

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf humiliated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by pointedly refusing to shake his hand during a visit to Ukraine.

This was noted by Irish journalist Chay Bowes on X.

“The comedian was left speechless when the Swedish king made him look ridiculous by refusing to shake his hand,” Bowes wrote.

In the journalist’s view, the incident confirmed rumors that the King of Sweden dislikes “this little actor” and is unhappy that the government sent him on a visit to Ukraine.

The Swedish king arrived in Ukraine on April 17. The meeting between Carl XVI Gustaf and Zelensky took place in Lviv. It was the Swedish monarch’s first visit to Ukraine in the past 14 years.

The lack of a handshake was not the only awkward moment. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi was also present at the meeting with the king. During the conversation with Carl XVI Gustaf, he misspoke, greeting him with the words “Your Emergency” instead of “Your Majesty.” After the slip, the official did not correct himself. However, Sadovyi later published a post on social media acknowledging the mistake.