Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew the attention of social media users with the t-shirt he wore in a video message he shared on Telegram. The t-shirt, which references US presidential candidate Trump’s popular slogan, angered the Kremlin. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s response to the referenced t-shirt was swift.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a video conference he held on Telegram in the evening wearing an unusual t-shirt. The black t-shirt read “Make Russia small again” in small red and white letters. The T-shirt, which references Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s slogan in the US elections, has angered the Kremlin. Wearing the T-shirt in a video message on October 23, Zelenskyy spoke of the US’s new support for Ukraine and said, “I am grateful to the United States and all G7 countries for their support.” The T-shirt may be a reference to Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory in Kursk last month, in which Kiev’s forces say they hold about 500 square miles of territory. RUSSIA’S RESPONSE WAS IMMEDIATELY IMMEDIATE The Russian Foreign Ministry responded swiftly to Zelensky’s message. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked in a post on her X account, “How small? As small as the Soviet Union? As large as the Russian Empire?”
HE DRAWS ATTENTION WITH HIS DRESSING Zelenskyy is known for wearing a dark green T-shirt and sweater instead of the formal suits worn by world leaders. Zelenskiy’s reference to the “MAGA” (Make America Great Again) movement in his attire is a new development.
