During his visit to the White House on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Donald Trump a special golf club – a gift conveyed by him from a wounded Ukrainian soldier.
The club previously belonged to Sergeant Major Kostiantin Kartavtsev, who lost a leg in the early months of Russia’s large-scale invasion, according to the Kiev presidential office, cited by CNN. „Golf has become part of his recovery,” Zelensky explained, handing the gift to Trump.
"The head of state also showed a video in which Kostiantin Kartavtsev addresses the US President, asking him to help Ukraine end the war through a just and sustainable peace," a statement from the Ukrainian presidency said.
The reciprocal gifts mark a clear change in tone from Zelensky's previous visit to the White House, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance harshly criticized him, accusing him of being disrespectful and ungrateful, even in front of cameras.
On Monday, Trump and Zelensky joked about the attire of the Ukrainian leader - a notable difference from their interaction in February, after a right-wing journalist criticized him for not wearing a suit. Dressed in a black jacket, shirt, and black pants, Zelensky responded to the reporter: "You're wearing the same suit. I changed, you didn't."
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