Washington, Aug 19 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opened his Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday by saying “thank you” nine times in the first minute, determined to avoid a repeat of his earlier public misstep when he was accused of being ungrateful.
“Thanks so much, Mr President. First of all, thank you for the invitation and thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts to stop killings and stop this war. Thank you,” Zelenskyy said at the start of the meeting, which preceded a brief news conference.
The carefully calibrated show of gratitude came six months after Zelenskyy’s February visit to the White House, which had turned into a political setback when Vice President J.D. Vance chastised him for not thanking Trump during their talks. “You should be thanking the President for trying to bring an end to this conflict. Have you said thank you once? No, in this entire meeting, have you said thank you?” Vance had said then.
Though Zelenskyy defended himself at the time, insisting he had always expressed appreciation for U.S. military and financial aid since Russia’s 2022 invasion, the exchange left an impression. Since then, world leaders appear to have taken note that praise and flattery go a long way with Trump.
On Monday, gratitude diplomacy was on full display. Zelenskyy extended his thanks to First Lady Melania Trump for personally writing to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging him to consider Ukrainian children and pursue peace. He also thanked European allies who joined him in Washington to push for a ceasefire and security guarantees tied to a possible peace deal with Russia.
Later, in a second meeting with European leaders, Zelenskyy expressed his thanks at least seven more times, including twice for a map Trump had presented to him. “Thank you for the map, by the way,” he said.
The tone was mirrored by other leaders. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer thanked Trump four times, crediting him with bringing the conflict closer to an end than anyone else in three years. “So I thank you for that,” Starmer said. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addressed Trump as “dear Donald” and later called him “amazing.”
Trump himself used the word “thank” repeatedly, praising his European counterparts. He called Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “a great leader with a long career ahead,” said he liked French President Emmanuel Macron more after getting to know him — a rarity for him, he noted — and even complimented German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s tan.
With peace talks on the agenda and momentum building toward a potential deal, gratitude dominated the day’s diplomacy, reflecting both the stakes and the personalities shaping the negotiations.
