From frost to friendliness: the new bromance of Trump and Zelenskiy
Back in February, the Ukrainian president was dressed in his now-iconic military fatigues, and the visit quickly unraveled into an awkward lecture from Vice-President JD Vance about gratitude
Not so long ago, Volodymyr Zelenskiy left the Oval Office looking like a scolded schoolboy.
Back in February, the Ukrainian president was dressed in his now-iconic military fatigues, and the visit quickly unraveled into an awkward lecture from Vice-President JD Vance about gratitude, with Donald Trump tossing in a dig about Zelenskiy's choice of outfit. "Acrimonious" was how aides described it—a word usually reserved for divorces and bad family dinners.
Fast forward to this Monday, and suddenly it's as if the two leaders are auditioning for a buddy comedy. Zelenskiy turned up in a sharp suit this time, front-loaded his remarks with six "thank yous" in under five minutes, and even pulled the diplomatic equivalent of swapping friendship bracelets: he handed Trump a note from Olena Zelenska addressed to Melania Trump, pointedly clarifying it was "to your wife." Trump, normally quick with barbs, responded with what sounded suspiciously like warmth.
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Gone was the scolding tone. Instead, Trump leaned into optimism, brushing off the need for a ceasefire before talks and dangling the possibility of a Zelenskiy-Putin sit-down, with himself as the potential chaperone.
He even hinted at "good protection" for Ukraine, the most decisive he's sounded yet, though he left the details hazy. Zelenskiy, meanwhile, framed security guarantees in transactional terms: a $90 billion arms deal, aviation and missile systems included, with the U.S. buying Ukrainian drones to keep Kyiv's factories running.
If the February encounter was a cold handshake, the August version felt closer to a clumsy hug—both men still keeping one hand in their pocket, but at least leaning in. Zelenskiy has clearly recalibrated, trading fatigues for charm, and Trump seems to like the new version.
Whether this budding bromance leads anywhere tangible remains unclear. But for now, Washington is watching the strange chemistry between a showman and a wartime president turn what was once acrimony into something resembling affection.
