The Ukrainian president’s outfit during his visit to the White House Monday reflects a change in approach since his disastrous meeting with US President Trump earlier this year.

Ukrainian analysts watching their president’s return to the White House were braced for a “nightmare.” They took cautious encouragement from what they saw instead.

It was a striking contrast to the meeting six months ago, when Trump, red-faced and angry, accused an agitated Zelensky of failing to show enough gratitude to the United States. The blowup was so heated that the Ukrainian delegation was sent from the White House without being allowed to eat their waiting lunch.

Veteran White House correspondents privately grumbled as a MAGA online personality dominated the Q&A during a photo op with President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meets today with President Donald Trump, accompanied by European and NATO leaders, in the quest for a path to end the war with Russia. Follow along for live updates,

Just after noon, European leaders including Macron, Starmer, von der Leyen, Rutte, and Meloni began arriving one by one at the White House. According to the White House schedule, Trump will first meet with Zelensky at 1:15 p.m. before greeting the European leaders, followed by a multilateral meeting with all parties at 3:00 p.m.

The Ukrainian leader seemed mostly upbeat about his latest White House appearance, describing his meeting with Trump as "warm". His optimism, however, appeared deliberate as he sought to avoid a repeat of his last Oval Office visit and convince his American hosts to embrace the European position on ending the war.

New negotiation, new look. When President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine arrived at the White House on Monday to meet with President Trump, he had swapped the military-style clothing that has been his de facto uniform since the war with Russia began in 2022, for a more statesmanlike ensemble: black field jacket, black shirt and black slacks.