Zelensky to Meet Trump at White House as Ukraine Seeks Renewed US Backing

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday in a high-stakes effort to secure continued American support for Ukraine as the war with Russia enters its fifth year and diplomatic efforts remain deadlocked.

The meeting, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. local time (1330 GMT), comes amid a sharp escalation in long-range attacks by both Kyiv and Moscow and follows months of stalled U.S.-led attempts to broker a path toward ending the conflict.

Ahead of the talks, Russia said Ukraine launched more than 390 drones targeting the Moscow region overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attacks caused damage to several residential buildings, although no immediate casualty figures were released.

"We are preparing for a meeting with the president of the United States and his team," Zelensky said ahead of his departure. "We hope that Washington will continue to support Ukraine and that we can end this war with a dignified peace."

The White House confirmed last week that Trump would host Zelensky in Washington on Tuesday. The visit coincides with a planned tribute to the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime supporter of Ukraine, who died earlier this month at the age of 71.

Relations between Trump and Zelensky have often been tense, but the U.S. president has adopted a noticeably more supportive tone toward his Ukrainian counterpart in recent weeks.

During an Oval Office meeting in February 2025, Trump publicly criticized Zelensky, accusing him of being ungrateful and "gambling with World War Three." Months later, at another meeting in Washington in October 2025, Zelensky failed to persuade Trump to approve the transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles.

However, the relationship has appeared to improve. During their latest encounter in Türkiye earlier this month, Trump praised Zelensky, saying he had done "an amazing job," and announced plans to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense missiles domestically to strengthen its ability to counter Russian missile attacks.

Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has significantly reduced direct U.S. military aid to Ukraine, instead promoting the PURL program, under which European allies purchase American-made weapons before transferring them to Kyiv.

Despite the shift in policy, Washington continues to provide Ukraine with critical intelligence support and access to the Starlink satellite communications network, which remains essential for battlefield coordination.

In another indication of changing political dynamics in Washington, several influential figures associated with Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement, including conservative commentators Laura Loomer and Tim Pool, have recently expressed support for Ukraine after previously opposing continued U.S. assistance.

Last week, Zelensky also met Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss ways to revive peace negotiations, which have largely stalled since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war in the Middle East earlier this year.

Previous U.S.-mediated talks between Kyiv and Moscow failed to produce progress, with both sides remaining deeply divided over the status of Ukrainian territories occupied and claimed by Russia.

Meanwhile, relations between Washington and Moscow have cooled following earlier diplomatic engagement, including Trump's invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit in Alaska last August.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that no negotiations on an aerial ceasefire were currently under way and warned that Ukraine's intensifying long-range attacks would only prolong the conflict.

Ukraine has recently expanded strikes against Russian oil depots, refineries, logistics facilities and cargo vessels operating in the Sea of Azov, contributing to fuel shortages in parts of Russia.

Russia has continued its own large-scale aerial campaign, repeatedly targeting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure while striking the Black Sea port of Odesa and commercial vessels, disrupting Ukraine's agricultural exports.

Diplomatic contacts between Washington and Moscow have also shown little sign of progress. During a brief meeting in Manila last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio against expanding weapons supplies to Ukraine.

Following the talks, Rubio reiterated that the United States remained committed to playing a "constructive" role in seeking an end to the war, while expressing caution over Russia's latest proposals.

Trump and Putin last spoke by telephone on July 5, but no breakthrough has emerged since, leaving Tuesday's White House meeting as the latest attempt to reinforce U.S.-Ukrainian cooperation amid a war with no immediate end in sight.