‘Fabulous' suit, saying thank you 8 times & tactical silence – how Zelensky won over Trump in White House love-in
The Ukrainian hailed the summit with Trump and European leaders as the "best" yet - and bagged a big win with the first confirmation of US security guarantees.
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Zelensky's meeting with Trump in the Oval Office was much more successful than his last visit
Credit: Getty
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In February, Trump gave Zelensky a serious dressing down and the two fell out severely
A head-to-head with Putin also appears closer than ever, with the German Chancellor suggesting it could come within two weeks.
Here's a breakdown of all the tactics Zelensky used to woo over the President.
No less than EIGHT 'thank yous'
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Zelensky made sure to thank Trump plenty of times during the press conference
Credit: Reuters
In February's meeting, Zelensky was blasted by vice-President JD Vance for not saying "thank you" to the US.
This time, the Ukrainian leader took no chances by explicitly thanking Trump and the States a whopping eight times.
read more on the meeting
SUITED… NOT BOOTED Trump pledges to protect Ukraine's security as Zelensky wins concessions
His opening line alone was chock-full of gratitude: 'Thank you so much, Mr President, if I can, first of all, thank you for your attention.
"Thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts to stop killings and stop this war. Thank you."
Donned a 'fab' suit
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This time, the Ukrainian leader complied with the dress code by wearing a smart shirt and jacket
Credit: EPA
Zelensky also learned from his outfit blunder last time.
In February, he snubbed the expectation of a suit by rocking up in combat gear.
This time, it was officially requested he pick out more formal attire - and he complied by donning a smart black shirt and jacket.
It proved a source of comedy when Zelensky got revenge on the reporter who criticised his clothes last time around.
Zelensky didn't really need the Europeans with him to meet Trump at the White House - they were a mere sideshow
Trump pointed out: 'He's the one who attacked you last time," when the reporter compliment Zelensky's "fabulous" look.
Zel jibed back: "I remember. You are wearing the same suit. You see I changed, you have not.'
Brought his European pals
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Seven European leaders also travelled to Washington to back up Zelensky
Credit: Getty
Zelensky turned up with an entourage of European leaders: the heads of the UK, France, Germany, Finland, Italy, Nato and the European Commission were all in tow.
Some of these figures have developed warm personal relationships with the President.
Giorgio Meloni of Italy spent time at Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, and UK PM Keir Starmer was the first world leader to secure a trade deal post tariff drama.
By arriving with the whole gang, Zelensky showed Trump that many of his close allies give their full backing to Ukraine.
It's also well-known that Trump values personal meetings - so bringing so many people together was a smart move.
Well-timed classy gift
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The Ukrainian leader hand delivered a letter from his wife to the First Lady Melania
Credit: AFP
Last time, Zelensky brought along a gift but fumbled the important gesture.
He placed Ukrainian boxing legend Oleksandr Usyk's world heavyweight belt on a table, but instead of handing it over showed Trump graphic photos of Ukrainian casualties.
This time, he handed over his token at the beginning of the meeting.
Zelensky's wife Olena had penned a letter for the First Lady Melania, thanking her for raising the issue of the lost Ukrainian children with Putin.
He raised a laugh by saying: "It's not for you, it's for your wife," which set a friendly tone for the whole meeting.
Tactical silence
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Zelensky bit his tongue on issues where he and Trump disagreed
Credit: Alamy Live News
It was also the stuff Zelensky didn't say which helped the meeting to run smoothly.
Despite a number of positive takeaways, Trump and Zelensky still disagree on some major points - but the Ukrainian held his tongue to avoid the atmosphere tanking.
In particular, Trump brushed aside the need for a ceasefire in order to reach a peace deal, claiming to have ended six wars without mentioning the word.
Zelensky has repeatedly suggested ceasefires of varying lengths in his plight for peace, but kept quiet on the issue in the Oval Office.
Instead, he let German Chancellor Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron take the fight to Trump - who seemed unconvinced.
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