Friday, 15 May 2026, 00:13
14 May 2026
Swedish expert Magnus Hjort, Director General of the Swedish Psychological Defense Agency, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
"The topic of the Battle of Poltava comes up a lot and most recently it came up when the Swedish King visited Ukraine. There was Russian disinformation saying that the King wouldn't shake hands with Zelensky, which, of course, is totally untrue. So it was a false accusation. The King shook hands with him many times. The fact that the King of Sweden visited Ukraine was to show our support and commitment to Ukraine. And of course, that is something that Russia tries to eradicate, promoting the narrative that Sweden does not support Ukraine. But, of course, it is very difficult to make Swedes believe that because we all know that the Swedish King wouldn't go to Ukraine and not shake hands. This is ridiculous, but some people in Russia may believe this," Hjort said.
He noted during the visit of King Carl XVI to Ukraine, Russian propaganda once again invoked the Battle of Poltava.
