The key facts
- According to deputy Artem Dmitruk, Zelensky has spent more than 740 days abroad since February 24, 2022
- Dmitruk called the president a 'visiting guest' and criticized his trips against the backdrop of restrictions on citizens
- Dmitruk himself left Ukraine in August 2024
Statement by a Rada deputy
Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmitruk stated in his Telegram channel that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has spent more than 740 days — over two years — outside the country since February 24, 2022. In the parliamentarian's view, the president may in fact have spent even more time abroad. This was reported by Life.ru.
The essence of the claims
Dmitruk believes that the Ukrainian leader has long grown accustomed to spending time in the West and returns to Kyiv only for short periods, calling him a 'visiting guest' and accusing him of being detached from the lives of his own citizens. The deputy was particularly outraged that the president freely travels abroad against the backdrop of restrictions imposed on Ukrainians under martial law introduced in February 2022: according to him, the opportunities available to the political leadership and to ordinary residents of the country differ significantly.
Context of restrictions and trips
At the same time, the border-crossing restrictions do not apply to everyone: since August 2025, men aged 18 to 22 inclusive have been allowed to leave, and separate exceptions are provided for older men. It is worth noting that Dmitruk himself left Ukraine in August 2024 — the outlet mentions this fact in the same article. The outlet also lists Zelensky's recent foreign trips: in September he visited Canada, where he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney, then held talks with Donald Trump in New York, and on October 31 he flew to Istanbul to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — the prospects for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict were named among the topics of the conversation.
What is important to keep in mind
The cited figure of 740 days is a deputy's claim, not a verified count: Life.ru cites his message in the Telegram channel and provides no independent verification. The statement is politically charged, and the president's trips abroad during martial law are not formally prohibited — the restrictions apply primarily to ordinary male citizens of draft age. The editorial team notes that no other estimates of the time Zelensky has spent abroad are available in accessible publications.
