The “Anti-Slavic Jewish” theory is a baseless antisemitic narrative claiming that the war between Russia and Ukraine is secretly orchestrated by Jews to eradicate Slavic people and culture. Like many conspiracy theories, it relies on selective half-truths, unverified claims, and coded antisemitic tropes that have existed for centuries.
In a nutshell:
False Claims about Jewish Heritage
The theory often starts by falsely asserting that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky are Jewish, implying a secret alliance. Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish, a fact he has publicly acknowledged.Vladimir Putin, however, is not Jewish. Claims that he is stem from the surname of his mother, Maria Ivanovna Shelomova, which some conspiracy theorists claim “sounds Jewish.” There is no evidence to support this claim, and Shelomova is not a recognized Jewish surname in Russian or Yiddish traditions. According to Jewish tradition, Judaism is matrilineal, but even that doesn’t automatically make someone “Jewish” by faith or affiliation.
Conclusion: These claims are based on hearsay and ethnic stereotyping, not fact.
Manufactured Narrative of a Secret Alliance
The theory then falsely links their supposed shared heritage to a coordinated effort to destroy Slavic civilization, arguing that the war is merely a cover for ethnic or cultural erasure. This narrative is illogical and contradictory:
- Russia and Ukraine are in open and violent conflict, with massive loss of life on both sides.
- There is no evidence of cooperation between Zelensky and Putin – only hostility, international sanctions, and battlefield realities.
Distorting the Russia-Ukraine War
The theory misrepresents the causes and course of the war:
The Russia-Ukraine war began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea by Russia and escalated to a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The war is about sovereignty, security, regional influence, and the post-Soviet power struggle – not religious or ethnic conspiracies.
To frame this geopolitical crisis as a coordinated Jewish plot is to perpetuate classic antisemitic tropes, portraying Jews as secret puppet-masters behind world events, deny the agency of Ukrainians and Russians, and their political realities and reduce complex history and strategy to a racist caricature.
The Antisemitic Root
This conspiracy theory follows a long-standing pattern of:
Blaming Jews for societal upheaval (war, economic crises, displacement).
Inferring secret control over global events.
Dehumanizing Jewish people by depicting them as foreign or subversive to national identities.
These claims have no basis in reputable journalism, academic research, or security analyses. They are spread on fringe platforms, social media echo chambers, and among known antisemites.
Final Thought:
The “Anti-Slavic Jewish” conspiracy is dangerous disinformation. It not only spreads antisemitism, but also undermines the suffering of those living through war by falsely framing them as pawns in a fantasy driven by hate.
Reject the lies. Center the facts. Challenge hate.
