Betting market in disarray over Zelensky suit that's also maybe not a suit

A high-stakes crypto bet on Polymarket asking whether Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky would don a suit before the end of June has turned into a hilarious mess. The market, which saw over $12 million in volume, initially priced the odds at just 3%, only to spike to 19% after Zelensky showed up at a NATO summit in The Hague wearing what looked like a smart military-style blazer and black utility jacket. Bettors and observers have been furious (and confused) over what actually counts as a “suit.”

Zelensky’s wardrobe choices aren’t random: by sticking to military-inspired jackets—sometimes with the Ukrainian trident—he’s sending a clear wartime message that he’s still commander-in-chief. As Oleksandr Merezhko, head of Ukraine’s foreign affairs committee, put it, a full suit might come one day—but only when the guns go silent.