The White House asked Ukrainian officials in advance whether President Volodymyr Zelensky would wear a suit for his 18 Aug. Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to an Axios report that cited two people familiar with the planning. Zelensky initially met Trump’s special envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, in Washington wearing a black T-shirt, but later arrived at the White House in a black suit-style jacket and button-down shirt—an outfit made by Kyiv designer Viktor Anisimov. The change marked a departure from the military attire Zelensky has favored since Russia’s 2022 invasion. During a brief media spray, reporter Brian Glenn—who had questioned Zelensky’s lack of formal wear in February—told him he looked “fabulous in that suit.” Trump echoed the compliment, and Zelensky quipped that the reporter was “in the same suit” as before, drawing laughter and underscoring the lighter tone compared with the pair’s contentious February encounter. Advisers on both sides said the more formal look was intended to set a conciliatory atmosphere for high-stakes talks on ending the war with Russia, which were also attended by several European leaders. While the substance of the negotiations remained confidential, the wardrobe shift became a symbolic gesture of rapprochement after months of strained personal dynamics between the two presidents.