The Times: Ukraine Now Has Some "Trump Cards"
- 30.07.2026, 12:18
How Zelenskyy Gained Trump's Respect.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the positive attitude toward Ukraine following a “good meeting” with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, where they discussed plans to step up diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia. According to The Times, the Ukrainian leader now has some trump cards.
After an hour-long conversation, President Trump warmly posed for photos with the Ukrainian president, and reports also emerged that White House peace envoys Steve Whitcroft and Jared Kushner, will soon make their first visit to Kyiv.
As journalists note, it appears that Zelenskyy emerged from his meeting with Trump with a clearer plan for achieving his goals, having recovered from the disastrous conflict in the Oval Office that occurred in February 2026.
How Zelenskyy Rose in Trump’s Esteem
The shift in the U.S. president’s attitude toward the Ukrainian leader did not come out of nowhere—it was the result of a specific strategy and tangible achievements on the battlefield. A source in the White House revealed the logic that guides Trump in his assessment of international partners.
“Trump has always liked ‘winners,’ and Zelenskyy rose in his estimation because he and his country proved their resilience in the face of Russia,” the White House source said.
Zelenskyy’s strategy was to instill in the U.S. and Ukraine the idea that they share a common enemy in Russia and to convince Trump that they are, in fact, on the same side.
Last year, Trump began voicing criticism of Putin but did not declare support for Ukraine, seeking instead to act as a mediator to end the war.
When reporters aboard the presidential plane asked Trump on Monday about Zelenskyy’s statement that Russia had helped Iran carry out attacks on Americans, the U.S. president responded evasively, while recalling the defeat of pro-Russian forces in another region of the world.
“Well, we’ll find out if it’s true or not. I’ll ask Putin about it. It didn’t have much of an impact because we crushed them... Venezuela had all the Russian equipment. And how did that end?” Trump said.
Diplomats explained the reasons for the thaw in relations
Analysts and former diplomats are already trying to explain why Washington’s position toward Kyiv has changed at this particular moment. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst broke down the meeting’s agenda for both sides.
“It’s clear that both sides wanted to highlight the positive aspects. They discussed two main topics, one of which was on Zelenskyy’s agenda and the other on Trump’s: licensing agreements were on Zelenskyy’s agenda, while peace talks were on Trump’s,” Herbst said.
According to the diplomat, the death of Senator Lindsey Graham deprived Ukraine of an advocate in Washington, but the visit to Kyiv by blogger and close Trump ally Laura Loomer played an important role.
“Mainly thanks to Ukraine’s successes both on the battlefield and in striking back at Russia—which Trump himself noticed and spoke about. Clearly, Zelenskyy now has bargaining chips that, as Trump thought last February, he did not have,” Herbst explained regarding the improvement in relations between the presidents.
In addition to political talks, the Ukrainian president used his visit to Washington to advance specific defense agreements. Zelenskyy met with representatives of a company that manufactures key weapons for Ukraine’s air defense.
“We discussed our joint capabilities related to the Patriot systems and other systems. Our teams are already working on specific solutions to move toward joint production as quickly as possible and expand our capabilities to protect lives,” Zelenskyy said after meeting with employees of Lockheed Martin, which manufactures munitions, including missiles for the Patriot systems.
He added that the parties also discussed “the further development of our cooperation—joint production and technology exchange.”