UK Helped Zelenskyy Prepare to ‘Speak Trump’s Language’ for White House Talks

British officials have coached Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on how to better communicate with Donald Trump, adopting a style tailored to the U.S. president’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

The Gaze reports this, referring to The Telegraph.

The effort followed a February clash in the Oval Office and was led by Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s former chief of staff and now national security adviser to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 

According to the report, Powell advised Kyiv on how to achieve its objectives in dealings with Trump by adopting a more flattering tone.

Zelenskyy has since made a point of opening conversations with U.S. officials by expressing gratitude for Washington’s support against Russia – a response to complaints by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance that Ukraine should show more appreciation.

Starmer’s circle believes the most effective strategy is to avoid reacting to Trump’s provocative remarks or cornering him publicly, while offering frequent praise in order to steer him privately toward positions aligned with allied interests. 

After Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Starmer refrained from criticism and instead welcomed the White House’s efforts to pursue peace.

European leaders, wary of renewed tensions in Washington, have concluded their best chance to prevent another clash is to stand alongside Zelenskyy during Monday’s talks.

Trump and Zelenskyy are scheduled to meet at the White House at 20:15 Kyiv time (13:15 GMT), followed by Trump’s meeting with European leaders at 22:00 Kyiv time (15:00 GMT) and then a multilateral session with EU heads of state. 

As The Gaze reported earlier, commenting on the latest Russian strikes on Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Odesa, Zelenskyy said that Russia would kill demonstratively in order to continue putting pressure on Ukraine and Europe and to undermine diplomatic efforts.