Zelenskyy’s new T-shirt riffs on Trump — and annoyed the Kremlin

• Zelenskyy wore a T-shirt saying ‘Make Russia small again’ during a nightly address.
• It sparked an angry, and convoluted, comeback from the Kremlin.
• It remains to be seen how MAGAworld, where Zelenskyy is not a popular figure, could react.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed up to his evening video address in an unusual T-shirt and got a scathing reaction from the Kremlin.

The Ukrainian leader on Wednesday discussed the state of the fighting — but has been getting attention for another reason.

Emblazoned on the black T-shirt, in red and white lowercase letters, was the phrase: “Make Russia small again.”

It may be a nod to Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk, in western Russia, where Kyiv’s forces say they held around 500 square miles as of last month.

The T-shirt quickly got a reaction from Russia’s foreign ministry on X, which cited its spokesperson Maria Zakharova as calling Zelenskyy a “bloody jerk.”

“Small as what? The USSR? The Russian Empire?” the spokesperson said. “Oh, I got it! As the Kievan Rus. For that we need Kiev. You said it yourself, bloody jerk.”

As comebacks go, it takes a bit of explaining.

Kyivan Rus was a medieval state from around the late ninth to the mid-thirteenth century. It included territory in modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russia, with its center in Kyiv, Ukraine’s modern-day capital.

Russia has long claimed that it is the only successor to Kyivan Rus, the Kyiv Independent earlier wrote in an explainer.

Zelenskyy is well known for ditching the expected world-leader uniform of formal suits for dark green T-shirts and sweaters.

His outfits were among the many gestures that helped his message resonate, drawing allies, donations, and new weaponry for his cause.

Some items became must-buys. As of Thursday, a copycat “make Russia small again” T-shirt was for sale on at least one e-commerce site, but it’s unclear whether it will catch on.

Zelenskyy referencing the MAGA movement with his clothing is a new development, though.

It’s hard to say how former President Donald Trump and his followers will react to the adaptation of the “Make America Great Again” slogan, given the strained relationship between the two leaders.

Trump has often praised President Vladimir Putin and bemoaned US aid to Ukraine. Although he has not gone into many specifics, analysts say that his proposed plan to bring the war to an end could come about on terms beneficial to Russia.

Most recently, Trump dialed up his criticisms of Zelenskyy, blaming him for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last month, he referred to the Ukrainian leader disparagingly as “the greatest salesman on earth”, suggesting he had hoodwinked the US into handing over excessive aid.