Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is planning to meet US president Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday afternoon at a time when their relationship appears stronger than ever before – even as both men face challenges at home.
At the meeting, Zelenskiy, still confronting domestic fallout over sacking both his defence minister and army chief, will be hoping to reboot stalled peace talks in Ukraine’s war against Russia and to push for more US help with weapons, particularly air defence. It’s likely, analysts say, the men will also discuss the potential of a ceasefire in long-range air strikes between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelenskiy will also attend the funeral of former US senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly on July 11th, hours after returning from Ukraine. The South Carolina Republican was perhaps Ukraine’s biggest ally in Trump’s circle, whose members have typically echoed Russian talking points.
Some analysts have speculated that Graham’s death might push Trump to be more sympathetic toward Ukraine. Some have also taken note of the visit this month to Ukraine by right-wing activist Laura Loomer, part of the “Make America Great Again” movement, who has recently expressed support for Ukraine.
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Others said Trump wanted to revive peace talks because he needed a diplomatic win and because reaching a lasting ceasefire in the US war on Iran has proved elusive.
“The relationship with Iran is still very much fragile,” said Harry Nedelcu, a senior director at Rasmussen Global, a European political advisory firm. So, he added, “Ukraine comes to the forefront”.
“But most importantly for both men,” he continued, “this is a moment where they could validate each other’s diplomatic efforts and leverage each other. Trump could leverage Zelenskiy, and Zelenskiy could help him validate his own administration at a time when domestically, Trump is not doing very well.”
The two leaders have long had a tricky relationship. Their meeting at the White House at the beginning of Trump’s second term was a disaster, punctuated by Zelenskiy’s being asked to leave. The Trump administration has consistently leaned toward Russia in peace negotiations, saying Zelenskiy did not have the cards to win. Under Trump, the United States cut off almost all military aid to Ukraine.
Zelenskiy has worked hard to mollify Trump in subsequent meetings. And Ukraine has fared better against Russia this year than expected, largely because of its drone advances. Ukraine is projecting the kind of strength that Trump typically favours.
The United States has also turned to Ukraine for help with drones and with drone interceptors, particularly in the war on Iran.
“There is a better chemistry now I see between them,” said Volodymyr Dubovyk, director of the Center for International Studies at Odesa National University in Ukraine.
“Maybe Zelenskiy understands Trump a little better,” he added. “Maybe Trump understands Zelenskiy a little bit better.”
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Ukraine has even peripherally entered the fray in the Iran war, hitting an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea with a long-range drone Saturday. Iran, which has long provided drone technology to Russia that is used against Ukraine, said the ship was a commercial vessel, vowed retaliation and accused Ukraine of deliberately widening the war. Zelenskiy said Kyiv had struck a cargo vessel moving military supplies between Iran and Russia.
While Ukraine’s long-range drones have also caused damage in parts of Russia, Ukraine is at a significant disadvantage in the air war. As of Monday, Russia had fired 117 ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities in July, according to a New York Times data set based on numbers from the Ukrainian Air Force, almost a monthly record.
Zelenskiy has repeatedly asked for more US-made Patriot interceptor missiles – the only air defence system Ukraine possesses that is capable of shooting down Russia’s ballistic missiles. This month, in another positive sign for Ukraine, Trump agreed to allow Ukraine to produce the interceptors, although ramping up production will take years.
Loomer, who often talks to Trump, is emblematic of the shift in thinking on the war from part of Trump’s base.
Like others in the Maga movement, she used to regularly espouse Russian talking points and oppose US aid for Ukraine. But this year, Loomer said in an interview with the Times, she started questioning her beliefs, describing a “woke right” of influential media figures including Tucker Carlson who had swallowed Russian propaganda on Ukraine and were undermining US national security.
Last week, she made a surprise visit to Ukraine, travelling about 35 hours from her home in Florida to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. On Thursday, Loomer interviewed Zelenskiy in a garden near the presidential residence, acknowledging that she felt a moral obligation to correct the record.
Loomer, who said she had repeatedly gone to bomb shelters during air raid sirens, said on Saturday that she had called Trump twice from Ukraine.
“He said, ‘Oh, tell Zelenskiy I said hello,’” Loomer recounted as her team drove from the eastern city of Kharkiv to Kyiv, stopping at military checkpoints and to film a video at a bombed-out gas station.
“And then, you know, I knew that Zelenskiy would be at the White House next week, and Zelenskiy had nothing but nice things to say,” Loomer added, noting that she intended to spend another week in Ukraine visiting factories and military sites.
After she posted a preview of her interview with Zelenskiy online, Trump shared it on his social media site. “Very good!!!” he said.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
While Loomer says Trump likes both Zelenskiy and Russian president Vladimir Putin, she also says Trump realises Putin is the problem.
“I think the tide is really changing,” she said. She added later in the interview: “I really honestly do believe that Ukraine, over time, could end up being one of our greatest allies.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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