By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The last time Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the White House, his dark military-style outfit drew scorn from U.S. President Donald Trump, who wears suits every day.
Zelenskiy’s garb at that February meeting featured in a disastrous session with Trump in which the two leaders bickered and the Ukrainian president was escorted out of the White House early, without lunch.
On Monday, with his country facing pressure to accept a peace deal to end Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years, Zelenskiy showed up for his talks with Trump wearing more formal attire. The black-on-black ensemble, sans tie, wasn’t exactly a suit, but it seemed to please Trump all the same.
A reporter who had asked Zelenskiy in February why he was not wearing a suit complimented the Ukraine leader on the attire he chose for his latest Oval Office session with Trump.
“You look fabulous in that suit,” the reporter said.
Trump chimed in: “I said the same thing.”
This time, Zelenskiy got in a good-natured dig.
“You’re wearing the same suit,” he told the reporter, drawing laughter. “I changed.”
The media-savvy Ukrainian leader had worn military-type outfits to show solidarity with the troops fighting Russian invaders since Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
But after the February meeting with Trump, Zelenskiy switched to a more formal wardrobe. When the two leaders met at Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome in April, the Ukrainian president wore a heavy black field jacket and black shirt buttoned to the collar, with no tie.
The negative focus on Zelenskiy’s attire at the White House was widely criticized at the time by Ukrainians, who have largely rallied around their leader since Moscow’s invasion.
(Reporting By Steve HollandEditing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair Bell)
