On December 7, local time, U.S. President-elect Trump arrived in Paris, France, held a high-profile trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and participated in the solemn ceremony of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. This is the first time that Trump has had face-to-face in-depth exchanges with these two leaders since winning the US presidential election. Surprisingly, however, no joint statement was issued after the talks, which may suggest that the talks did not produce the desired substantive results. At the same time, according to the US media "New York Post" reported on December 7 local time, Trump's close aide Paul Stone sharply criticized Zelensky's dress, believing that his dress "seriously lacks respect for the American people".
At the scene of the trilateral talks, Macron and Trump both wore crisp suits and showed a formal diplomatic demeanor. Zelensky, on the other hand, maintained his signature style, wearing a blue sweatshirt emblazoned with elements of the Ukrainian flag, paired with a pair of baggy slacks, a camouflage jacket and a pair of black combat boots. Although Zelensky may not be inappropriate in such a dress, and he has shown this image on many diplomatic occasions, it has caused strong dissatisfaction among Trump's team members.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Stone put it bluntly: "Didn't he have the right suit?" We note that he wears a well-dressed tie when attending other important international events, such as the World Economic Forum. But why shouldn't you choose a more formal attire when meeting with the president-elect of the United States or attending a joint session of the U.S. Congress? ”
Not only that, but some astute social media users have expressed similar opinions about Zelenskyy's attire, believing that he is dressed too casually and disrespectfully for such an important diplomatic occasion.
Although none of the three leaders spoke to the media or disclosed the details of the meeting after the meeting, they all posted updates on their respective social media, saying that the talks were positive. Macron stressed that the talks focused on the conflict in Ukraine and "joint action for peace and security in the region." Zelenskyy praised the talks as "very smooth and fruitful" and thanked Trump for his "unwavering support." He said the three countries "want this conflict to end as soon as possible" and firmly believe that "peace can be achieved through dialogue and strength," but did not give further details.
Trump spoke out on Sunday through his "real social" platform, calling on Moscow and Kyiv to "immediately stop hostilities and sit down at the negotiating table" and urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to "take decisive action." He also hinted that "Zelensky and the Ukrainian side are ready to reach a rapprochement with Russia." However, he also did not elaborate on a specific plan for how Russia and Ukraine could reach a settlement.