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“Better late than never” is a phrase that could save you at the office or on a date, but in politics, a leader’s tardiness can spark anything from mild irritation to full-blown diplomatic tensions – and might have played a role in the latest White House show.
ADVERTISEMENT“This is going to be great television. I will say that,” was Donald Trump’s takeaway following his intense exchange with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House’s Oval Office last week.The dramatic war of words played out in front of the cameras before the whole world made for a historic display of ill will.It ended without the much-anticipated minerals agreement being signed – although the deal might have been salvaged at the last minute, according to the latest reports.The heated showdown broke out in the Oval Office when JD Vance criticised Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude for US support.But what if a simple delay instigated tensions from the offset?When minutes matterThere’s no evidence that Zelenskyy was deliberately late, but the meeting had been scheduled for 11 am in the Oval Office, according to the White House.But the Ukrainian leader arrived some 20 minutes later, with the captured recording of his arrival logged around 11:20 am.Earlier that day, Zelenskyy had a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators, including Lindsey Graham (South Carolina/Republican), Chris Coons (Delaware/Democrat), and Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota/Democrat).“Really good bipartisan meeting before President Zelenskyy heads to the White House. We stand with Ukraine,” Klobuchar posted on X at 8:56 am, alongside a selfie with Zelenskyy and the other senators.Before heading to the White House, Zelenskyy returned to the Hay-Adams Hotel – on the other side of Lafayette Square from the White House – where he was staying with his advisors and entourage.Perhaps those extra 20 minutes were of no consequence, but they may also have added to Trump’s pique. The US president quipped, “He’s all dressed up today,” as he greeted Zelenskyy at the entrance to the West Wing.That Zelenskyy didn’t wear a suit also irked Trump, according to US media outlet Axios, which reported that Trump’s advisers told Zelenskyy’s team several times to ditch his military-style attire when visiting the White House.Running late or running the show?Lateness in politics isn’t just an issue of etiquette; it can strain relationships and spark controversy.Trump himself has been on the other side of the issue, arriving more than 40 minutes late to a recent meeting at the Élysée Palace with French President Emmanuel Macron and – by coincidence – Zelenskyy himself, during his first post-election trip abroad to the French capital last November.ADVERTISEMENTThough that meeting remained cordial, history is filled with examples where delays caused real friction as some leaders take punctuality very seriously.In June 2024, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev stormed out of a planned meeting with Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić simply because Spajić was four minutes late.Sometimes a delay fuels speculation before being brushed off as a national stereotype.When Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived an hour late to an informal summit on Ukraine convened by Macron last week – missing the group photo – many suspected an intentional snub.ADVERTISEMENTItaly had wanted the summit to be held in Brussels, not Paris. In the end, the situation was laughed off. Was she making a statement? No, she was just Italian, and Italians are wired to be late.Putin’s waiting gameNot all delays are accidental. Some are strategic.In diplomacy, keeping leaders waiting serves as a psychological and symbolic tool – projecting power, provoking irritation or buying time. In his book ‘The 48 Laws of Power’, Robert Greene argues that making others wait signals dominance while pushing them into rushed decisions.Few leaders have mastered this art quite like Russian President Vladimir Putin. His record for keeping world leaders waiting is legendary.ADVERTISEMENTIn 2014, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was forced to wait over four hours before meeting him.Pope Francis fared slightly better in 2015 when Putin arrived at the Vatican only an hour late. Even US President Barack Obama wasn’t spared, waiting 40 minutes to meet for his Russian counterpart in 2012.But sometimes the tactic backfires. In 2022, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan kept Putin waiting for a meeting, the move was widely seen as payback for Putin’s own habitual tardiness.You’re never on time in BrusselsWhen it comes to the EU, running late isn’t so much a power move as a consequence of Brussels’ existing in a strange time zone peculiar to itself.ADVERTISEMENTEU summits are infamous for marathon discussions, often dragging on into the small hours of the morning.Key debates on issues such as the EU budget, top job appointments or the possibility of joint debt issuance have been known to keep leaders locked in meeting rooms until dawn.Even logistical hurdles play a role. Brussels’ notorious traffic snarls summit schedules, while some suspect that delays are sometimes used strategically.Perhaps that’s why European Council President António Costa is trying to limit EU summits to day-long events while his predecessors, Charles Michel and Donald Tusk, stretched them over two days and sometimes longer.ADVERTISEMENTDuring Brexit talks, EU negotiators were accused of dragging things out to exhaust their UK counterparts into making last-minute concessions.And it is true that whether to assert dominance, frustrate opponents, or simply buy time, turning up late is often more than just bad time management. It is sometimes just an unavoidable part of the game.
