Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has gradually abandoned his symbolic war uniform – the long-sleeved khaki shirt – in favor of a more subdued, yet still informal attire, with black jackets and shirts, signaling a change in tone in international relations.
At the NATO summit in The Hague, where he met with Donald Trump, the Ukrainian leader showcased a more „diplomatic” image, in a gesture interpreted by the Ukrainian press and social media as a „new type of visual diplomacy.”
After being criticized in February in the Oval Office for not wearing a suit, Zelensky seems to have now calibrated not only the messages but also public appearances, in an effort to rebuild relations with Washington and maintain crucial military support from the US.
He changed his war uniform
When Zelensky met Trump at the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome in April, he was wearing a thick black jacket and a black shirt buttoned up to the collar, without a tie. He wore a similar outfit at the dinner hosted by the Dutch king on Tuesday, preceding Wednesday's NATO summit in The Hague.
Although not invited to the actual NATO leaders' meeting, he met with Trump afterward, a bilateral meeting with an agenda that included a list of Ukrainian wishes for arms acquisitions from the US.
The subtle change, without a white shirt or tie, caught the attention of social media and the Ukrainian edition of ELLE magazine, which described the new look on Wednesday as "a new type of visual diplomacy."
The negative emphasis on Zelensky's attire at the White House was widely criticized by Ukrainians, who largely rallied around their leader since the invasion by Moscow in February 2022.
A communication advisor from the president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comments, Reuters reports.