"Zelenskyy Suddenly Became Trump's Favorite"
- 29.07.2026, 13:44
It was a day full of memorable moments in Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump during his visit to the U.S. on July 28, reports BILD.
It was a day full of memorable moments in Washington, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had every reason to consider himself a winner. The thaw in relations between him and U.S. President Donald Trump was plain to see. Almost a year and a half ago, the Ukrainian was harshly humiliated in the Oval Office. Now he has come here not as a supplicant, but as a strategic partner. Recent successes against Vladimir Putin’s army and long-range strikes deep into Russian territory have reportedly impressed Trump.
Ukraine wants to capitalize on Trump’s remarkable about-face. Zelenskyy brought with him intelligence that, he claims, proves Russia helped Iran identify American targets. Just recently, three American soldiers were killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan.
At the same time, Kyiv itself is targeting the Moscow–Tehran axis. On Saturday, the Ukrainians attacked an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea with long-range drones. The Ukrainian side claimed that the vessel was transporting weapons to Russia. This is a signal to Trump: Ukraine has long since become a military power with a wide range of operations. American political analyst Scott Erb calls the Russian-Iranian partnership “a major source of uncertainty that seriously irritates Trump.”
Will Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner travel to Kyiv?
At the meeting, Zelenskyy reiterated his request for additional Patriot air defense systems. They also discussed a trip to Kyiv by Trump’s negotiators, Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner, which could mark the start of a new attempt at peace talks with Putin.
Zelenskyy had a packed schedule: in addition to the memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, where he engaged in a lively conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Ukrainian leader also met with members of the Senate ahead of a vote on a bill imposing sanctions against Moscow. [...]
Amid growing domestic political pressure, Trump is seeking to end the war [in the Middle East]. Here, Zelenskyy also has another trump card: he is offering Trump a chance for diplomatic success in the war in Ukraine—a welcome alternative to the quagmire of war in Iran.”