Pope Francis’s funeral saw leaders from around the world turn out to pay their last respects in Vatican City. As with many funerals, there was a sombre dress code of black suit, black tie and white shirt for men while women were advised to dress in long, black dresses with gloves and a veil.
But a few leaders didn’t follow the code, including US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, who wore a black jacket, black shirt and trousers, but no tie. It’s well-known that Mr Zelensky dresses in a style reminiscent of a military uniform to remind the world his country is at war.
He did so during a meeting with Mr Trump and his Vice President JD Vance at the White House in February when his clothes drew criticism from Brian Glenn, who reports for US media outlet, Real America’s Voice and is the boyfriend of Mr Trump’s firebrand ally Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Mr Glenn quizzed Mr Zelensky over his choice of clothes, asking: “Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re at the highest level in this country’s office, and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?” The questions appeared designed to humiliate the Ukrainian president, who hit back.
Ukraine’s leader replied: “I will wear costume after this war will finish. Maybe something like yours, maybe something better. We will see, maybe something cheaper.”
One of Mr Zelensky’s clothing brands is Damirli. A designer for the company, Elvira Gasanova, explained the president’s reasoning in an interview with Politico.
She said: “When world leaders see Zelensky in military style, it is a signal – ‘Ukraine is at war and I am part of this fight’.
“A persistent call to return to the suit is a de facto demand to return to the usual format of political dialogue, which means ‘enough of war, sit down at the negotiating table’.”
Ms Gasanova added that during the war Mr Zelensky is not just a politician, but the supreme commander of the army and civilians under martial law.
The designer added: “The classic suit would be perceived as a detachment from the reality of the front. And his clothes help him to keep the world’s attention on the war in Ukraine.”
While Mr Zelensky’s funeral attire may have raised some eyebrows, Mr Trump managed to veer from the sartorial script as well.
He caused a stir by dressing in a blue suit and was easily identifiable among the many mourners dressed in black.
Despite their differences in style and funeral garb, the two leaders did find time to meet each other on the sidelines of the funeral in St Peter’s Basilica, in their first face to face since their tense Oval Office meeting.
Images of the encounter inside the Vatican showed the two leaders locked in intense discussion in their fraught White House clash in late February.
The US president turned his criticism towards Russian President Vladimir Putin after the meeting in Rome.
In a post on his Truth Social website, he suggested Mr Putin maybe “doesn’t want to stop the war”, and that the Russian leader could be “just tapping” him along.
Mr Zelensky described it as a “good” meeting, adding: “We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.
“Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you.”
