Donald Trump Meets Zelenskyy on Sidelines of NATO Summit

New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday. 

Following their discussions, Zelenskyy posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “We covered all the truly important issues. I thank Mr. President, I thank the United States. We discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace. We spoke about how to protect our people.”

‘He’s Got a Little Difficulty’

Earlier in the day, Trump downplayed expectations for the meeting, telling reporters,

“Obviously, we’ll be discussing his difficulties. He’s got a little difficulty,” he said. “Zelenskyy’s a nice guy... I assume we’re going to be discussing Ukraine. That seems the most likely.”

This casual tone stood in stark contrast to the urgency Ukraine has been expressing in recent weeks, as Russian aerial attacks increase and peace efforts stall.

Rocky Relationship and Attempts at Repair

This meeting follows months of strained ties between the two leaders. Their first in-person interaction this February at the White House reportedly ended in a bitter exchange. A brief and more diplomatic interaction followed at the Vatican in April, where Zelenskyy sought to rebuild the fractured rapport.

In recent statements, Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership in implementing a fresh sanctions package against Russia, noting,

“The final decision is still in the White House, it depends on the president of the United States."

Despite renewed diplomatic push from Trump and U.S. officials, attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have yet to bear fruit. Russia continues to reject all calls for an unconditional halt to hostilities, further complicating the already fragile peace trajectory.

Zelenskyy's ‘Visual Diplomacy’ Gains Attention

Beyond the political optics, Zelenskyy’s personal appearance also drew attention. Since the much-criticized Oval Office visit earlier this year, the Ukrainian leader has evolved his wardrobe from military-style tees to more formal black field jackets a shift dubbed “visual diplomacy of a new kind” by Ukrainian fashion magazine ELLE.