Zelensky wears suit but no tie to meet Trump who tells Ukrainians ‘we love them’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wore a black combat suit without a tie to meet US President Donald Trump for the first time since their disastrous press conference.

The presidents shook hands outside of the White House on Monday and as reporters shouted questions, Trump said of Ukrainians: ‘We love them.’

Trump cut off a question about Russia killing civilians and said, ‘Thank you so much everybody’, then allowed Zelensky to walk inside first.

Zelensky and seven European leaders are visiting the White House three days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

In opening remarks in the Oval Office before his formal meeting with Zelensky, Trump said: ‘It’s an honor to have the president of Ukraine with us.

‘We had a good meeting just a while ago with the president of Russia. Today’s meeting is very important.’

Zelensky presented a letter to Trump from his wife to First Lady Melania Trump, who wrote to him urging a stop to the killings.

‘My wife, first lady of Ukraine, she gave the letter. It’s not to you – to your wife,’ Zelensky said, prompting laughter in the room.

Before arriving at the White House, Zelensky shared a video of himself greeting the European leaders at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington. He wore a black suit jacket over a black shirt and no tie, nevertheless dressing more formally than his last visit to the Oval Office when he wore a military sweatshirt from his country.

‘Our main goal is a reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe,’ he wrote on X.

‘And it is important that the momentum of all our meetings lead to precisely this result. We understand that we shouldn’t expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest…

‘Ukraine is ready for a real truce and for establishing a new security architecture. We need peace.’

Seven European leaders rushed to fly to Washington, DC, to support Zelensky in the high-stakes meeting.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was among the first to arrive at the South Portico, and was greeted by the US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley. He was followed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Frederich Merz and Finnish President Alexander Subb. French President Emmanuel Macron was the last to arrive.

They gathered for a buffet lunch before meeting with Trump.

Zelensky is expected to be weighing giving up territory to Russia in exchange for promises of its future security from the US.

The Ukrainian president has insisted that he will not give up land, but Trump’s meeting with Putin, which ended with the two apparently agreeing on several points, puts pressure on him.

Trump has leaned toward Putin’s demand that Ukraine give up some of its territory for a peace deal.

Zelensky is visiting the White House for the first time since February, when his Oval Office meeting with Trump became a shouting match with the administration asking him to leave and casting him as ungrateful.

The European delegation scrambled to make quick arrangements to travel across the Atlantic in part to avoid another breakdown in talks between Zelensky and Trump.

European leaders may have been coaching Zelensky on how to deal with Trump, who could walk out of a meeting if he does not like the Ukrainian president’s behaviour.

Ahead of arriving in the White House, Zelensky slammed Russian overnight strikes on the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia that killed 10 people and left dozens of others injured.

‘This was a demonstrative and cynical Russian strike,’ wrote Zelensky on X.

‘They are aware that a meeting is taking place today in Washington that will address the end of the war. We will have a discussion with President Trump about key issues.’

Earlier on Monday, Zelensky met with Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.

‘We discussed the battlefield situation and our strong diplomatic capabilities – Ukraine’s and all of Europe’s together with America,’ wrote Zelensky on X.

‘Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and President Trump has that strength.’

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Putin has spent the day calling leaders of Brazil, India, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and South Africa, on what happened at the Alaska summit.

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