Zelensky, in a round neck and cargo pants, displays the challenge of Ukraine

Yes, this is his first trip abroad since the start of the Russian invasion. And yes, Ukraine defied all odds by resisting for 10 months an aggressor who expected to seize the capital of his country in a few days.

But the watching world should be warned: The war is far from over.

This was the message of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine when he was stepped onto the White House lawn to be greeted by President Joseph R Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and then later at a joint press conference with Mr. Biden.

Or rather, that was the message conveyed by the olive green sweatshirt (with Ukrainian trident at the throat), cargo pants and hard boots that Mr. Zelensky wore, even before he said a word.

It is impossible to believe that Mr. Zelensky, a president familiar with the perspective of his years as an interpreter, chose by chance to has appear in the militaristic attire he made his wartim e uniform, rather than adopting the dark suit and normal tie on visits to the White House (de rigeur for most senators and representatives, as well as dignitaries visiting and cabinet members).

Staying in the persona he has played since the start of the war, Mr. Zelensky offered an immediate visual reminder of his lens to all who were watching. Including his people, his fighters, his allies – and, not least, his enemy in the Kremlin.

Everything he and Mr. Biden say to each other behind closed doors , Mr Zelensky's insignia in the trenches were impossible to ignore - as it has been since he first appeared in an olive green t-shirt in a Kyiv bunker after the invasion of Russia in February. The impact on Wednesday was only heightened by the contrast with Mr Biden's professional navy blue suit, worn with a navy and yellow striped tie in a nod to Ukraine's national colors, and the Dr. Biden's sky blue coat.

Had Mr. Zelensky had recourse to the capital's mufti, he would have blended in with his surroundings, perhaps suggesting that a more familiar or reassuring stage of the conflict had begun. That he didn't was as much a strategic choice as any deployment, this one targeting an image-consuming era.

Mr. Zelensky is a warlord, and he makes sure everyone just has to look at him to understand.