Fake news involving AS Monaco President Dmitry Rybolovlev – representatives deny presence at Riyadh talks
Most erroneous media references have now been removed © AS Monaco
There was a measure of media confusion recently over the crucial negotiations between the United States and Russia in Riyadh, fuelled by disinformation alleging Dmitry Rybolovlev’s presence at the talks. The story blew up out of all proportion.
Contacted by our editorial team on Monday 24 February, representatives of Dmitry Rybolovlev categorically denied the information: “It’s not true. Mr Rybolovlev did not take part in the US-Russia talks in Riyadh.”
Advertising
A case of mistaken identity
It all started with a post on X (formerly Twitter), published by a Financial Times journalist in Moscow, in which it was claimed that Dmitry Rybolovlev, AS Monaco’s President and a long-standing Monegasque resident, was part of the Russian delegation at the talks in Riyadh.
The message might have gone unnoticed, but it got picked up quickly, shared and commented on, causing confusion. However, the information was completely wrong. Mr Rybolovlev’s representatives immediately contacted the journalist, who deleted the tweet and published a denial.
A statement from Dmitry Rybolovlev’s family office: Mr. Rybolovlev is not taking part in the US-Russia talks in Riyadh.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 18, 2025
However, this didn’t stop the rumour mill. Other media outlets ran the story without taking the time to factcheck it or contact official sources. The misunderstanding appears to have arisen from a simple case of mistaken identity. Another Dmitry, Dmitry Balakin, and Kirill Dmitriev (who were really present), were cited by our colleagues from the Italian media outlet Open Online as possible reasons for the confusion.
The man in the red tie
The story also gained traction because several media outlets and social media accounts shared a blurred photo, in which Mr Rybolovlev was said to be seen behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In fact, there is no sign of the AS Monaco President in the photograph.
2/ This is the image being used to claim that Dmitry Rybolovlev was present at the meeting in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/5NAiu2rKn5
— David Puente (@DavidPuente) February 19, 2025
The picture shows a man in a red tie, who was mistaken for Dmitry Rybolovlev. But as an in-depth analysis published by Open Online demonstrates, it is clear that the man is not the Monegasque resident.
The mystery was cleared up thanks to an investigation by the Sistema Group published in The Moscow Times, which revealed that the person was in fact Vladimir Proskuryakov, a Russian diplomat working at the Canadian embassy.
Rectification. The person at the negotiations is not Dmitry Rybolovlev. See debunk on the right. Still that case where he bought Trump’s Palm is very interesting. pic.twitter.com/PqeJ7AqJBT
— Robert van der Noordaa (@g900ap) February 19, 2025
Most erroneous media references have now been removed.