A surprising anecdote from high-stakes peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia has emerged, revealing an unconventional diplomatic approach by US President Donald Trump. According to a detailed report from the New York Times, Trump lightened the mood of a tense Oval Office meeting by praising the beauty of Ukrainian women and arranging an impromptu phone call with a former Miss Ukraine for President Volodymyr Zelensky.
An Unorthodox Diplomatic Pivot
The incident occurred during an August meeting in the Oval Office, where Trump hosted Zelensky and seven other European leaders to discuss the ongoing war with Russia. The discussions, happening just days after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, were serious and focused on forging a path to peace.
Amid the talks, President Trump reportedly interjected to remark that "Ukrainian women are beautiful," a comment he linked to his past experience overseeing the Miss Universe pageant. This unexpected shift in conversation reportedly changed the atmosphere in the room.
Following this, Trump took a further step to build rapport. He called his friend, American businessman Phil Ruffin, who is married to former Miss Ukraine Oleksandra Nikolayenko. Trump then had Nikolayenko speak directly with President Zelensky for 10 to 15 minutes in their native language.
Creating a "Human Connection"
An unnamed official present told the New York Times that this manoeuvre successfully altered the "temperature" of the discussions. "Everyone laughed. What it did was create a human connection. It was kind of a mind meld. It humanized Zelensky with Trump," the official claimed. The report noted that the room paused as Zelensky and Nikolayenko conversed in Ukrainian, and the interaction seemingly brought the two presidents closer.
This August meeting appears to have been a turning point in Trump's relationship with the Ukrainian leader. Earlier in the year, during a televised February meeting, Trump and Vice President JD Vance had publicly berated Zelensky, causing concern about the US-Ukraine alliance. The August encounter marked a significant and warmer shift in tone.
A Strategic Shift in US-Ukraine Relations
The change in dynamics had tangible diplomatic consequences. By September, approximately one month after the Oval Office meeting, Trump publicly called Zelensky a "great man" at the United Nations General Assembly. He also reportedly discussed providing Ukraine with weapons, signalling a potential policy shift from his administration.
Furthermore, on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated he believed "Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form." Some advisers suggested this newfound public affection for Zelensky, which surprised close associates, may have been a deliberate strategy to "shock" Russian officials.
The report details the Trump administration's broader, months-long effort to broker a peace deal, which involved trying to bring Putin to the table while urging Zelensky to make greater concessions than initially planned. Recently, after hosting Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, Trump insisted peace was "closer than ever before" and even suggested "Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed," though both leaders admitted issues around Ukrainian land remain unresolved.
