Volodymyr Zelensky received online acclaim for his reaction to an inquiry about his attire from a US White House correspondent while he was in Washington, DC.
The spotlight has switched to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s social media clothing choices, despite the fact that war and trade were the primary topics of discussion during Friday’s (February 28) stormy meeting with his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
The Voice of Real America As Trump’s Cabinet team looked on, Chief White House Correspondent Brian Glenn questioned Zelensky about his casual dress, asking, “Why don’t you wear a suit? Despite being the most powerful person in this country, you don’t wear a suit.
Vice President J.D. Vance chuckled, but Glenn continued, asking if Zelensky was wearing a suit at all. Unfazed, the Ukrainian asked, “Problems?” “Yes, a lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting this office,” Glenn affirmed.
Q: “Why don’t you wear a suit?”
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy: “I will wear costume after this war will finish.” pic.twitter.com/FzJqjIAQHa
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 28, 2025
Zelensky then retorted, “I’ll wear (a) costume after this war is over.” It might be something better or comparable to yours, but I’m not sure. We shall see. Maybe something cheaper.
When Zelensky first arrived at the White House, Trump joked to the waiting reporters, “He’s all dressed up today!” This led to the exchange. And Zelensky just said, “Oh really?” when Trump subsequently acknowledged in the Oval Office that he appreciated Zelensky’s outfit.
A video clip of Glenn interrogating the two leaders after their meeting, meanwhile, went popular on X and received almost 10 million views in a single day. After the video started an online debate, many individuals hurried to Zelensky’s defence.
Critics pointed out that Elon Musk is often seen in casual attire. A commenter on X questioned, “What was Elon Musk’s justification for wearing a hat and a t-shirt to a Cabinet meeting?” Another said: “Why wasn’t Elon asked the same question? They wanted to take Zelensky by surprise.
“Nobody has the right to even make comments about President Zelensky’s attire when Elon Musk is allowed to attend the Cabinet meeting wearing a baseball cap and t-shirt,” argued a third supporter. How about they ask if Elon Musk has a suit or why he never wears one?
Some, on the other hand, agreed with Glenn and claimed that Zelensky should have dressed more “respectfully.” According to one person, “Zelenskyy is not just conceited, he’s cocky with a terrible attitude, and he showed nothing but contempt and complete disrespect to the President of the United States of America and to visit the White House.” Many of the greatest figures in history have lived in a well-known structure. Not wearing a suit is the same as giving the American people “two fingers.”
Another irate commenter wrote, “Is this guy kidding?” It was a serious question. Many people are inquisitive and incensed over the fact that he doesn’t dress appropriately for the highest post in the country! It’s rude.
It was also mentioned that Zelensky might have misunderstood Glenn’s question regarding X. Given that “suit” is the English translation of the Ukrainian term “kostyum,” his caustic reply may have been misinterpreted.