Peace talks clouded by disputes over diplomacy, dress, and the battlefield
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump says he can stop the Ukraine war. Volodymyr Zelensky says peace must come through strength. Today, the two men meet again in the Oval Office — and the atmosphere is already tense.
In a sign of friction, the White House reportedly asked whether Zelensky planned to wear a suit for the meeting. The Ukrainian leader, who has refused to shed his wartime attire, insists he will return to formal dress only when the war is over. The question, seemingly trivial, is loaded with symbolism: normal clothes suggest a “normal” Ukraine. But nothing is normal in a country still under fire.
For European leaders, this summit is about substance, not style. They want two things: a U.S. security guarantee to anchor any future peace, and an outline of a land-swap proposal that Kyiv can take back for consultation.
“This is groundwork, not the deal itself,” said one senior European official. “But it’s an essential step.”
Trump, fresh from his Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin, has been venting online. “This is Biden’s war, not mine,” he wrote on Truth Social, adding: “I’m here to stop the war, not to prosecute it further. Despite the critics, I’ll get it done.”
Zelensky Signals Readiness
Earlier in Washington, Zelensky met Trump’s envoy, Gen. Keith Kellogg. He said Ukraine is “ready to continue working with maximum effort” to end the conflict. “Russia can only be forced into peace through strength — and President Trump has that strength,” he declared, after condemning fresh Russian strikes that killed civilians overnight.
Vice President JD Vance will sit in on the Oval Office encounter — the same role he played during their stormy February clash. That meeting ended badly, with Zelensky walking out under a cloud. European leaders, including Britain’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, will meet Trump later in a separate session.
Meanwhile, Putin is calling allies. In the wake of his Trump summit, he has spoken with Brazil’s Lula da Silva, India’s Narendra Modi, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa — all urging a peaceful resolution.
What’s at Stake
A suit, a handshake, a photograph. The details matter in diplomacy — but the stakes are far larger. What emerges from Washington today may not be a final peace deal, but it will shape the terms of any future settlement, and test who really holds the power to end Europe’s bloodiest war in generations.
