Why doesn't President Zelensky wear a suit?

Александра Воронина

On February 28, the international community was staggered as it painfully watched a televised dispute between US President Trump, his vice, JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Zelensky suit: President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump met in the Oval Office. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP

For Zelensky, who traveled all the way from Ukraine to sign a rare earth mineral deal with the Trump administration and confirm America's further support for Ukraine, somehow the meeting took an unexpected U-turn, where he had to defend the dignity of his and Ukrainians.

It all started with a baffling question from Brian Glenn, a correspondent for the Real America's Voice, a right-wing, pro-Trump media outlet known to spread conspiracy theories and misinformation.

"Why don't you wear a suit?" Glenn asked President Zelensky, who wore an all-black outfit — a long-sleeve with a Ukrainian trident, trousers, and boots. "You're at the highest level in this country's office, and you refuse to wear a suit. Just want to see if — do you own a suit?"

Rubryka is here to answer the question and explain the meaning and impact of Zelensky's not wearing a suit during the war.

Political statement

Zelensky suit: President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the US Congress on December 21, 2022, wearing a khaki green sweatshirt with a Ukrainian trident. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Since the moment President Zelensky refused the US offer to evacuate him and his family from Kyiv, at the start of the full-scale invasion three years ago — the decision that encouraged Ukrainians to continue the fight against Russian aggression — the president has not been seen in a suit.

Instead, Zelensky chose casual combat attire, either black or khaki green, for any occasion — giving speeches at Congress, the British or European Parliaments, meeting with global leaders, kings, and queens, working in his office in Kyiv, or visiting Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines.

Why does he do it? For him, a classic suit is a sign of normalcy and peace, which are not part of Ukraine's reality. Zelensky, not wearing a suit during his foreign meetings with "suited-up" leaders of allied countries, provides the needed contrast of war and peace — a conscious political statement, saying, "Ukraine is still at war."

Zelensky suit: Sir Winston Churchill in his air raid suit at the White House in January 1942 during his mission to the US. Photo: Imperial War Museums

Legendary war leader Sir Winston Churchill, whom Trump ironically admires and has a bust of him in the Oval Office, used the same idea to send a similar message to the American people. During his visit to the White House during World War II, the British prime minister rallied for military support, dressed in an air raid jumpsuit, which civilians in his country wore to the bomb shelters to stay warm.

Solidarity with other Ukrainians

Zelensky suit: President Zelensky met with soldiers on the front line in the Donetsk region in March 2023. Photo: Office of the President

Like Churchill, Zelesky opted for down-to-earth outfits during the war because he speaks for his people in the fight against Russia. Zelensky shows his solidarity with his fellow Ukrainians through a simple outfit, accompanied by an unshaven beard and tired face.

"He is a man of the people, and he looks like a man of the people," said one Ukrainian minesweeper the Telegraph journalists interviewed two years ago about Zelensky's outfit of choice.

The khaki green the president wears represents each Ukrainian soldier on the front, who gave up proper attire — suits, dresses, and even jeans — to defend their country. The black paints an image of darkness, loss, and permanent grief that Ukrainians have to face daily.

Like an average Ukrainian, Zelensky doesn't prioritize his looks at times of war. What he does prioritize is the support he garners from partners for his people and their security. He cares more about the subject of negotiations and how he can better Ukraine's future through said negotiations, but not how he looks at the actual meeting. 

For that reason, President Zelensky replied to the correspondent's irrelevant question during the press meeting in the Oval Office on February 28: "I'll wear the costume [suit in Ukrainian — ed.] after war." 

"Disrespectful" attire vs Disrespectful questions

Zelensky suit: President Donald Trump meets with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, February 28, 2025. Photo: Mstyslav Chernov/AP

"Do you own a suit?" Longtime Trump supporter Brian Glenn knows the obvious answer to this tactless question. As a political leader, Zelensky does own more than one suit. It was evident from all his public appearances before 2022, including the first time the Ukrainian president met Donald Trump at UN headquarters in New York City, in 2019. Then, he wore a crisp navy suit and tie.

The question is why the question of clothing was even asked. President Zelensky explained in interviews over three years of the invasion why he doesn't wear a suit and that he will stop wearing this uniform when the war is over. Instead of showing his high regard for partners through his outfit, he has expressed gratitude and respect in words and deeds toward Ukraine's friends, including the United States, which he thanked at least 94 times.

Is it really important to wear a suit in the Oval Office? Or does the Trump administration have a double standard in treating wartime leaders who ask for support for their people's defense, and for billionaires running with chainsaws who visit the Oval Office in jeans, baseball caps, and T-shirts?

We'll leave you with a thought. It's not about the way a person dresses; it's about the respect with which they carry themselves. The Friday White House meeting showed that you may wear an expensive suit and tie steamed to perfection and still be the most disrespectful and cynical person in the room. And someone in a sweatshirt and sneakers proves to be a person of dignity.