The Guardian: The War With Iran Has Changed Trump's Attitude Toward Zelensky
- 1.08.2026, 18:25
Ukraine has offered the U.S. its unique expertise in countering Iranian drones.
Despite the high-profile conflict between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early 2025, relations between the two leaders have recently warmed considerably. According to the British publication The Guardian, the key reason for this change may have been the failed war waged by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
The author of the article notes that following a sharp row at the White House in February 2025—when Trump effectively kicked Zelenskyy out of a meeting—the two sides are now holding regular talks. Another meeting took place this week in Washington, where the Ukrainian president arrived for the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who had consistently supported Ukraine.
Prior to that, Trump and Zelenskyy also met during the NATO summit in Ankara. There, the U.S. president—who a year and a half ago called the Ukrainian leader a “dictator”—even declared his willingness to grant Ukraine licenses to manufacture its own Patriot interceptor missiles, although he later expressed doubts about this initiative.
As the publication notes, one of the most unexpected moments was Zelenskyy’s meeting in Kyiv with American far-right activist Laura Loomer, who had previously supported Russian narratives. After the meeting, she stated that she had been misled by Russian propaganda and also reported that she had discussed her new conclusions with Trump over the phone.
Experts quoted by The Guardian believe that the war with Iran was ultimately the most important factor in the White House’s shift in attitude toward the Ukrainian leadership. Ukraine, which has gained significant experience fighting Iranian Shahed drones over the years of full-scale war, is now offering the U.S. and its allies its own technology and expert assistance.
“At the very moment when he was bogged down in the war and faced with unsuccessful military decisions, and the Ukrainians suddenly turned to him—no longer asking for American charity, but offering assistance— it seems entirely plausible to me that this could have been one of the reasons why Trump’s attitude changed so noticeably,” says Trita Parsi, vice president of the Quincy Institute .
The Guardian notes that Zelenskyy is also deliberately trying to promote a narrative linking the Russia-Ukraine war to the crisis surrounding Iran.
At the same time, analysts warn that such a strategy could have negative consequences. In their view, the increasingly close intertwining of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the U.S. conflict with Iran creates the risk of expanding the geographic scope of the confrontation. Furthermore, even despite a slight thaw in relations with Zelenskyy, a significant portion of the MAGA movement’s supporters remain skeptical of foreign wars and large-scale aid to Ukraine.
Matt Dass, vice president of the Center for International Policy , also warned that Zelenskyy’s efforts to help Trump with Iran risk undermining support for Ukraine in Europe, since this would make Kyiv an indirect ally of Israel. And Israel has not been well-liked in Europe lately.
“The attempt to align with Israel in the war against Iran significantly undermines Ukraine’s position, since Israel is effectively trying to do to the Palestinians exactly what Russia tried to do to Ukraine—namely, to wipe them out as a people,” Dass said.