Ukrainian President Zelensky visited the White House on the 18th to meet with U.S. President Trump, changing out of his wartime attire and appearing in 'battlefield formal wear', which drew close scrutiny and high praise from Trump.
To ensure the success of this meeting, Zelensky softened his approach and launched a charm offensive. The atmosphere on site was friendly, in sharp contrast to six months ago.
The Wall Street Journal reported that this time, Zelensky wore a collared shirt without a tie, paired with a suit-style jacket. This jacket is from the Ukrainian brand Viktoranisimov, a brand whose clothing he has chosen for most of this year. For his lower half, he wore dress pants matched with combat boots, all in his preferred black.
This set of 'battlefield formal wear' was highly appreciated by Trump, who not only looked him over attentively but also gestured towards his attire. The Wall Street Journal described that Trump said, 'I like it very much,' displaying 'grandfatherly pride.'
During the February meeting, Zelensky wore a black sweater with the Ukrainian traditional trident symbol. A reporter questioned him, 'Why aren’t you wearing a suit?' suggesting this was 'disrespectful' toward the U.S. side.
CNN cited a European official as saying that the U.S. side had previously suggested to the Ukrainian side that Zelensky should not insist on the 'military style' this time. In the end, he chose a compromise style.