Dressed for diplomacy: Zelenskyy's new style wins praise in meeting with Trump

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in February, his wartime attire became a flashpoint in a disastrous session.

But for Monday's latest meeting between the two leaders, Zelenskyy arrived at the White House dressed to impress. He swapped the long-sleeved polo shirt featuring the Ukrainian trident donned in February for a more formal black suit-style jacket and dress shirt.

It proved to be a shrewd move in fashion diplomacy.

During the meeting, a reporter who in February had taken Zelenskyy to task for not wearing a suit, complimented Ukraine's leader for his sartorial choices this time around.

"President Zelenskyy, you look fabulous in that suit," said Brian Glenn, the White House correspondent for right-wing media outlet Real America's Voice.

Trump chimed in immediately: "I said the same thing."

Pointing at Glenn, the US president told Zelenskyy: "And he's the one who attacked you last time".

In the February meeting, Glenn asked Zelenskyy why he didn't wear a suit, and claimed that a lot of Americans took issue with him "not respecting the dignity" of the Oval Office.

That criticism followed a sarcastic dig by Trump, who told reporters that his Ukrainian counterpart was "all dressed up today" when he first welcomed him into the West Wing.

But it was all smiles this time around, with Zelenskyy on Monday delivering a light-hearted dig to Glenn in response to his praise.

"You're wearing the same suit," he told the journalist, drawing laughter. "I changed."

'Visual diplomacy of a new kind'

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelenskyy has mainly worn the same military-style outfit — a green or black t-shirt with matching fatigue-like trousers and combat boots — as an act of solidarity with the country's troops.

However, following the acrimonious exchange with Trump at the White House earlier this year, Ukraine's leader has adopted a smarter appearance at recent events ranging from the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome to the dinner before the NATO Summit at The Hague.

The wardrobe change has been described by the Ukrainian edition of ELLE magazine as "visual diplomacy of a new kind."

Viktor Anisimov, the designer of Zelenskyy's new outfit, has said that he was "gradually shifting...towards a more civilian style, while still preserving the military reference."

"It's not about the suit — it's about what happens to Ukraine," he told Womenswear Daily.

In that sense, Monday's meeting between the two presidents was a marked improvement from their last encounter in the Oval Office.

Trump told Zelenskyy that Ukraine would receive security guarantees as part of any deal to end Russia's war, though he did not specify what Kyiv might have to give in exchange.

"Europe is the first line of defence," Trump said, adding "but we will help, we will be involved" as he did not reject the idea of US peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine.

After Trump and Zelenskyy's bilateral meeting, they met with seven European leaders who travelled to Washington to show support for Ukraine and Trump's peace efforts.

Later on Monday, Trump said in a social media post that he had called Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met in Alaska last week, to start arranging a meeting between him and Zelenskyy.

After a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy takes place, the three leaders will hold a trilateral summit, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.