Volodymyr Zelensky may be unwilling to make political and territorial concessions in his war with Russia, but on Monday, the Ukrainian president made allowances of his own, arriving at the White House in a suit jacket.
The wartime leader went with the more formal look for the hastily arranged, high-stakes meeting in Washington D.C., with President Donald Trump, who recently yielded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calls for Ukraine to cede territory as part of a so-called “peace plan.”
Zelensky opted for a military-style, all-black suit jacket paired with a button-down black shirt.
Since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Zelensky has worn combat gear and sweatshirts or polos with the Ukrainian national symbol as a show of solidarity with soldiers fighting the Russian army on the war’s frontlines.
He was in his typical combat-garb while meeting Trump’s special representative, Keith Kellogg, in Washington on Monday morning, donning a black short-sleeve T-shirt with black combat pants.
But Zelensky broke from that tradition in the afternoon, perhaps signaling his first concession to Trump after White House officials reportedly put pressure on the Ukrainian leader to wear a suit to the Oval Office for the meeting.
I thank @GeneralKellogg for the meeting and for the joint work with our team. President Trump invited Ukraine and other European countries to Washington today – this is the first meeting in such a format, and it is very serious.When peace is discussed for one country in Europe,… pic.twitter.com/ZMZaIzAghD
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2025
“This time the President [Zelenskyy] will be in a suit, but the style still remains in a military key with the same symbolism: he is the Head of State, which is at war,” Elvira Gasanova, a Ukrainian businesswoman and designer of the Damirli brand that produces one of Zelenskyy’s signature looks, told Politico.
Monday’s historical meeting between the two presidents is occurring alongside an extraordinary slew of major European leaders who are presenting a united front in support of Ukraine.
Also in attendance is Vice President JD Vance, sources told the Daily Beast, who berated Zelensky during his infamous and explosive Oval Office visit in February.
At the time, Vance hurled accusations at Zelensky, among them that he was being “disrespectful” to the U.S. by not wearing a suit and tie in the Oval Office.
I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump. Tomorrow we are also speaking with European leaders. I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation. We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting. Not…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2025
Trump, too, partook in the pile on: “He’s all dressed up,” Trump said to reporters as he greeted Zelensky for the February meeting.
Zelensky’s attire became a flashpoint for conservative media, despite its resemblance to those worn by previous wartime leaders during visits to the White House, including Britain’s prime minister during WWII, Winston Churchill.
Brian Glenn—another Real America’s Voice pundit and the boyfriend of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)—asked Zelensky in February why he didn’t wear a suit to the White House.
“Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re at the highest level of this country’s office and you refuse to wear a suit. I just want to see, do you own a suit?” Glenn asked.
“I have problems,” Zelensky quipped, perhaps referring to the war that has killed some 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 14,000 civilians.
“I will wear costume after this war will finish,” he said to Glenn, using the Ukrainian word for suit. “Maybe something like yours, maybe something better.”
Monday’s talks, which come on the heels of Trump’s summit meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, could help bring an end to Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
Trump used his Truth Social account to show his stance going into the meeting, writing, “President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.”
Trump on Friday rolled out the red carpet for Putin, who has largely been ostracized by the international community since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After greeting him like an old friend, Trump let Putin talk first at a post-summit press conference—with no actual questions allowed—and even gave him a lift in his armored “Beast” limousine.
After inconclusive peace talks with Putin in Alaska, Trump called Zelensky on Saturday, with the Ukrainian president agreeing to the Monday meeting to “discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.”
During the call, Trump offered support for U.S. security assurance for Ukraine after the war, a shift from his stance that Europe should bear the burden of protecting the country, though the specifics were unclear.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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