The president's sudden openness to offering NATO-style security guarantees to Ukraine has drawn a sharp rebuke from his hardcore allies.

The Ukrainian president’s outfit during his visit to the White House Monday reflects a change in approach since his disastrous meeting with US President Trump earlier this year.

If anyone could convince him to change his look, it would be me,” said Viktor Anisimov, who was working to transform the Ukrainian president’s look even before it was questioned at a White House meeting.

Russia has so far refused to agree to a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin, despite several requests from Kyiv. The Kremlin hasn't ruled out summits for the two leaders but has said they could only meet in the very final stages of clinching a peace agreement.

Doing so would require the Russian leader to “accept the failure of sitting down with a president he considers a joke from a country that doesn’t exist”

Zelensky returns to the Oval Office for the first time since his blowup with Trump. This time he is bringing back up.

It was a striking contrast to the meeting six months ago, when Trump, red-faced and angry, accused an agitated Zelensky of failing to show enough gratitude to the United States. The blowup was so heated that the Ukrainian delegation was sent from the White House without being allowed to eat their waiting lunch.

The Kremlin hasn't ruled out summits but has said they could only meet in the very final stages of clinching a peace agreement.