The image of the banner was digitally manipulated; President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the meeting in Washington wearing a formal suit.
Ahead of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with Donald Trump in Washington, pro-Kremlin outlets circulated an altered photo of a banner in the U.S. capital, purporting to urge Zelenskyy to wear a suit. The image referenced the well-publicized dispute between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vance during the Ukrainian leader’s previous Oval Office visit.
The image circulated by pro-Russian outlets was digitally altered. While the building depicted is indeed in Washington, the original banner reads: «Heal Fast Big Balls Thanks, Trump! love DOGE.» It was a message for Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old programmer and former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency, who is connected to Elon Musk’s and Trump’s circles. Coristine was injured in Washington on August 3, 2025, during an attempted carjacking, an incident Trump cited when explaining his deployment of the National Guard to the city. The banner had no connection to President Zelenskyy’s visit or Ukraine.
Propaganda efforts to ridicule Zelenskyy fell flat: the Ukrainian president arrived at his meeting with Donald Trump in a suit. Brian Glenn, the journalist who had questioned Zelenskyy’s attire during their previous encounter, apologized and complimented the president, with Trump concurring. Zelenskyy quipped that Glenn was wearing the same suit as last time, prompting laughter. Axios previously reported that the White House had consulted the Ukrainian government about Zelenskyy’s attire for the August 18 meeting, with one official noting it would be «a good sign for peace.»
The topic of peace negotiations has become a recurring theme in Russian disinformation. Recently, similar fakes have been debunked, including claims that fighter jets «drew» a star in the sky over Alaska for Putin and that Trump saluted the Russian president during a meeting in Anchorage.
