A lighter moment unfolded during the bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday when a pro-Trump reporter, Brian Glenn, complimented Zelenskyy’s attire — months after criticising him for not wearing a suit to an earlier White House visit.
“First of all, President Zelensky, you look fabulous in that suit,” Glenn said, drawing a quick quip from Trump: “I said the same thing.” Zelenskyy, recalling the February criticism, retorted, “And you’re in the same suit.” Glenn later apologised for his earlier remarks, telling the Ukrainian leader he looked “wonderful.”
Zelenskyy appeared in a coordinated dark jacket and shirt, without a tie. He later told reporters he was open to holding elections in Ukraine once security conditions allowed. “Yes, of course, I am open to holding elections, but we have to conduct them in safe circumstances. We need security to hold elections,” he said.
On broader discussions, Trump reiterated that a peace deal — not merely a ceasefire — was his priority in resolving the Russia-Ukraine war. “I don’t think we’d need a ceasefire. I have made all these deals without the mention of the word ‘ceasefire’… We are working on a peace deal while they are fighting. I wish they could stop, and I want them to stop, but strategically, it could be a disadvantage for one side or the other,” Trump said.
Addressing Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, Trump noted the longstanding resistance from Russia but suggested security guarantees would be central to ongoing talks. “We will give them very good protection and security, and that is a part of it,” he said. Trump also revealed he had spoken “indirectly” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and planned a phone call to explore the possibility of a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy.
The Washington talks followed Trump’s weekend meeting with Putin in Alaska. European leaders — including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — also joined discussions to push for robust security guarantees for Ukraine in any post-war settlement.
