U.S. President receives acknowledgement from Zelenskyy ahead of second meeting in Oval Office
In the Oval Office, world leaders gathered to meet with the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump. The atmosphere was markedly different from six months prior, when a White House scolding had left Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the defensive. This time, a new tactic was employed—gratitude diplomacy.
Leaders, recognising Trump's penchant for flattery, decided to return the favour. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, for example, repeatedly expressed thanks to Trump—thanking him nine times during their meeting, and even specifically referring to a map Trump had presented. This approach extended to other leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who thanked Trump multiple times for his role in efforts towards ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Zelenskyy's gratitude diplomacy also highlighted thanks to others connected to Trump, such as Melania Trump's personal letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging peace for Ukrainian children. This strategy aimed to reinforce alliances and present a unified front under the favourable attention of the U.S. President.
Trump, in turn, responded positively to such diplomacy. He heaped praise on European leaders, using the T-word about a dozen times during the meeting. Even French President Emmanuel Macron received Trump's admiration, with Trump stating he liked Macron more since getting to know him.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also singled out for praise, with Trump calling her a great leader with a long career ahead. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte even went so far as to call Trump "amazing" during the meeting.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while not the architect of this diplomatic strategy, did participate, thanking Trump four times during their meeting. Starmer noted that after three years of fighting, nobody else had been able to bring the conflict as close to a possible end as Trump had.
Zelenskyy, attempting to defend himself, stated that he had always expressed appreciation for U.S. military and financial support. Nevertheless, the tactic of gratitude diplomacy seemed to have paid off, as the meeting created a climate of mutual respect and cooperation, setting the stage for productive discussions on national interests and negotiations.
The meeting took place in 2022, and was followed by a short news conference. Zelenskyy also took the opportunity to thank European allies who had arrived as reinforcements in Washington. The meeting marked a significant turnaround from the previous incident, demonstrating the power of diplomatic flattery in navigating the unpredictable world of international politics.
[1] Source: Various news reports and transcripts from the meeting.
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