After the clash in the oval study, it was obvious that public attention focused not only on political and diplomatic content, but also on a particular detail: the clothing chosen by Zelensky for the occasion. This detail became central before the summit when the White House asked Ukrainian officials if the president would have chosen a formal dress or the usual military estate.
The clash in the oval study
Before this summit, during a previous encounter to the White House, the military style chosen by Zelensky had already generated a lit dispute with Trump in the oval study. The American president had openly criticized the clothing of the Ukrainian leader. Alongside Trump also sided his deputy, JD Vance, who had expressed annoyance for Zelensky’s military estate. During that comparison, which lasted about twenty minutes, Trump had declared: “You must be grateful!”, While Zelensky had replied saying he arrived in the United States “not to play cards”. This discussion had lasted for a long time and had attracted the attention of the international media.
The meaning of the dress for Zelensky
The arrival in black dress in the White House
And so today, for the first time, Zelensky has abandoned the uniform and showed up at the White House with a black suit: jacket, pants, shirt and without a tie. The images of his arrival were also shared by the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Some American officials said that the White House had expressed the desire for Zelensky to wear a formal dress.
The multilateral summit and the international presence
Today’s summit in Washington has not only seen the bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelensky but also a multilateral one with various European leaders. At the White House there are the Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the French president Emmanuel Macron, the Finnish president Alexander Stubub, the secretary of NATO Mark Rutte and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
During the event Trump publicly declared: “Zelensky cannot get Crimea back and cannot enter the NATO, certain things do not change”, reiterating his position. On social media, Zelensky replied that “Russia should not be rewarded for the war”. He added that the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits the transfer of territories and that the territorial question must be treated only in the talks between Ukraine and Russia, with the presence of the United States.
During the press conference in the oval studio, which this time did not end badly, Zelensky said he was ready to meet Putin and to call new elections at home as soon as there are security guarantees. Trump, on the other hand, confirmed that a truce is not on the calendar (it would not be worth it in Putin) but hopes to reach as soon as possible a “lasting peace”. It will be Europe, said The Donald, to be on the front line to ensure Kiev’s security “and we will help it”. Immediately after the summit, the president will call Putin to inform him about how things went.
The impact of formal detail
Before the meeting, some councilors of Trump had called “a good sign for peace” if Zelensky had chosen to present himself in complete rather than with the military uniform. “It would be great if he wore a tie,” added another official. The Ukrainian leader has chosen a middle ground. And this time it went much better.
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