When President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Feb. 28 to discuss ending the war that had inflicted tremendous tragedy on his country since its escalation in 2022, he was asked a question he likely least expected to hear at such a critical moment.
"Why don't you wear a suit?"
"You're at the highest level in this country's office, and you refuse to wear a suit," Brian Glenn, the chief White House correspondent for the right-wing Real America's Voice TV channel, asked Zelensky during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
"Do you own a suit?" Glenn continued. "A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the office."
It was no coincidence that Glenn was the one asking this not only inappropriate but also extremely disrespectful question. Glenn is considered to be one of the favorite reporters of Trump and his supporters.
He appeared to be merely mirroring Trump’s irritation with Zelensky’s outfit, which he had made clear just shortly before, while meeting Zelensky outside the White House upon arrival.
"You're all dressed up today,” Trump said to a wartime leader.
On that day, Zelensky was wearing a simple all-black outfit, in line with his wartime style that he had adopted on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Oval Office meeting between Zelensky and Trump led to a heated argument after an invited interference of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, resulting in the cancelation of a planned mineral deal and Trump’s decision to halt all military aid for Ukraine on March 3.
But amid a major U.S. foreign policy shift – abandoning allies and aligning with a longtime adversary, Russia – Glenn’s suit question continued to make headlines and receive reactions on social media in the ensuing days.
"If Zelensky takes off his military-style outfit and puts on a suit, what does that mean? It means he agrees that the war is over."
According to Zoya Zvynyatskivska, a Ukrainian fashion historian, comments about clothing are never the cause but rather the result of someone's prejudice and dislike, and it is impossible to dress in a way that would change that attitude.
“In Trump's mind, there is no war. Everything has already ended," Zvynyatskivska told the Kyiv Independent. "If Zelensky takes off his military-style outfit and puts on a suit, what does that mean? It means he agrees that the war is over."
"Yes, Zelensky dresses demonstratively. But the only message he wants to convey with his clothing is: 'In my country, there is a war,'" Zvynyatskivska says. "Everyone wants to forget. Everyone wants to move on. But he keeps reminding them."
In response to Glenn’s question, Zelensky said, "I will wear a costume after this war will finish." Zelensky likely misspoke, as the Ukrainian word for suit is "kostium."
"Maybe something like yours, yes. Maybe something better, I don't know," he said. "Maybe something cheaper."
Following the meeting, Axios reported, citing two anonymous sources, that Trump's advisers told Zelensky's team multiple times that it would be more respectful for Ukraine's leader to "ditch his military-style attire" when visiting the White House.
"One small but not insignificant factor" that irritated Trump was the fact that Zelensky ultimately did not wear a suit, Axios reported.
Waiting until victory
The last time Zelensky was seen in a suit was in his video address shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of the full-scale invasion in the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022.
In his next address later that day, Zelensky appeared in a khaki T-shirt. The next morning, he wore a fleece pullover of the same color for his morning address.
Since then, he has mostly been wearing military-style attire, only swapping it for a vyshyvanka — a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt — on holidays or special occasions.
"We all know that his life was already in danger on the very first day (of the full-scale invasion). Leaders of other countries even offered him evacuation, but he refused," Zvyniatskovska says.
"He was already wearing a bulletproof vest and comfortable clothing underneath it because, at that moment, his life was in danger."
Even when Ukrainian troops liberated Kyiv Oblast in the spring of 2022 and the danger to his life was seemingly not as immediate, Zelensky chose to stick to simple military-style garments “in solidarity with the people who are fighting,” says Zvyniatskovska.
"History remembers leaders whose choice of clothing became part of their fight and a reflection of their era."
"He's not wearing military uniform," she says. "But wearing khaki clothing that is convenient and hints at what is happening in your country — I believe this is a beautiful, powerful non-verbal statement that reminds everyone who meets him (about the war in Ukraine)."
Zelensky has said numerous times that he would wear a suit only after Ukraine wins the war. In the documentary by Ukrainian journalist and TV host Dmytro Komarov called "A Year," Zelensky even showed the blazer he plans to wear on Ukraine's victory day.
"It's a symbol. It means that the war will be over soon, we will win soon, and we all will wear suits again," Zelensky said.
'It's not clothing that is the problem'
During the latest Oval Office meeting, Zelensky wore an all-black ensemble, including a polo shirt by the Ukrainian brand Damirli, adorned with a trident — Ukraine's coat of arms.
On Instagram, the brand wrote that the polo Zelensky wore is "not merely a garment — it is the uniform of a modern warrior, a symbol of the unbreakable spirit of a nation standing for its freedom."
"History remembers leaders whose choice of clothing became part of their fight and a reflection of their era," Damirli wrote.
"Yes, it's not a suit, but it's a kind of intermediate option. I think he really demonstrated respect," Zvyniatskovska says. "Very modest, beautiful outfit in black, restrained color, no khaki."
Zelensky's team, including Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak who was wearing a suit on Feb. 28, adhered to the White House's formal dress code.
"They dressed according to the standard for an international event,” she says. “Everyone on the team was dressed perfectly appropriately."
But Zelensky's outfit was "symbolic," it was a statement, according to Zvyniatskovska.
Zelensky is not the first wartime leader to disregard official dress code during high-profile visits or meetings.
The Ukrainian president is now often compared with U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who, during World War II, also chose not to wear a suit during his visit to the White House in January 1942.
A photo of him dressed in a "siren suit," a practical one-piece garment designed for air raids, went viral following the latest Oval Office clash.
"Zvyniatskovska says history offers many examples of people — like Mother Teresa — who chose to wear signature outfits as statements, even at high-profile events."
"He's not the first person in the 21st century to break standard etiquette rules to convey their message," Zvyniatskovska says, adding that Zelensky was wearing the same polo during his meeting with King Charles III in the U.K. on March 2.
"And everything went fine," she says. "So it's not the clothing that is the problem."
Ukrainians support Zelensky
Zelensky's decision to stick to his wartime style during the Oval Office meeting gained significant support in Ukraine.
When the Kyiv Independent asked people on the streets of Kyiv whether Zelensky should have worn a suit, the majority of respondents felt he made the right choice not to.
"As far as I remember, America supports freedom so, in my opinion, everyone can wear what they want," Stanislav Rakitin told the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian soldier Vadym, who is stationed near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, told the Kyiv Independent that he, too, supports Zelensky’s symbolic choice.
"His position that he's at war and not into suits seems reasonable to me," he says.
"The fact that they've been nitpicking about his clothing only shows their pitifulness. There's no need to apologize for anything. They're just nitpicking. They're looking for a reason. No one in the world said a word about it. (Former U.S. President Joe) Biden didn't say anything."
Ukrainian journalist and soldier Petro Shuklinov says that Zelensky's attire not only sends a message to the world but also to his own soldiers, emphasizing: “I am here to bring weapons. I am here to bring security. My country is at war, and I represent my country. I cannot do otherwise.'"
"I didn't vote for him, but for me, the president is an institution. And now, wherever he is, he represents me, my country, and all our people. Criticizing him is criticizing me. And if anyone wants to make a remark to me, I invite them to come to Ukraine," Shuklinov said.
Note from the author:
Hi, this is Daria Shulzhenko, the author of this story. After watching the now infamous Oval Office meeting multiple times, I can say this: No matter what President Volodymyr Zelensky wore that day, the outcome would have been the same. It was never about his outfit — it was about how he was treated. But I hope this piece serves as a reminder that Ukrainian soldiers are the ones fighting the hardest battle for freedom right now. And as you can see, they have no issue with what he wears. While they are on the battlefield, we are making sure their voices are heard around the world. So please consider supporting our reporting.
Chris York
