Hearts & Minds: Bombast, Suits and Seating Plans: Trump and Zelensky Take Two

In comms you plan like mad, rehearse every step, plan the seating and order of presentations and their length - two minutes, no more – and in the end it comes down to mood, the chair’s mood. If they turn up grumpy and with their own agenda, the slightest irritation can blow up and all that prep is lost; if they’re happy everyone else is and you can relax, job done - and double-down on the next event. That is how it was yesterday in the White House. It was all about mood, Donald Trump’s mood. The last time he met Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office it was a disaster. Pure, gripping theatre for those watching but in terms of diplomacy and the message it imparted, awful. There was no repeat. Trump was on his best behaviour, personally bombastic as ever, but not displaying any sign of anger. Perhaps he was tired, maybe he really does want to end the war and believes, having met Vladimir Putin, he is close. Whatever, he was determined to make it succeed and that involved listening and being conciliatory. Phew.

Other leaders realise that with this emboldened, second term US president, only one approach works and that is congratulation and appreciation. From the moment Zelensky appeared wearing a suit (of sorts but a suit nonetheless and a step up from his trademark jumper) and, borrowing from Sir Keir Starmer, presented a personal note from his wife to Trump’s, it was obvious this was going to be different. That continued inside, where one by one the European rulers said their opening pieces and lauded their host. Note to co-ordinators, if ever you wish to see why a table for a gathering such as this must be round, watch the footage. In this setting, someone had to be on the end and it was Starmer. While Emmanuel Macron was in position A, next to Trump, the UK premier was perched to Macron’s right, unsighted from the facial expressions, especially those of Giorgia Meloni.

At the by now traditional in-the-room press conference, it was again apparent there was a shift. There was no hostility and bristling. JD Vance was silent and attentive. The same reporter who previously criticised Zelensky’s dress intervened, to say how smart the Ukrainian president looked. To laughter, Zelensky, a stand-up, quipped unlike him who still had the same suit on. It was over. Until the next time.

Chris Blackhurst is one of the UK’s foremost business journalists. He was previously Editor of The Independent and City Editor of the Evening Standard.