Washington (United States) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House on Tuesday for talks with US counterpart Donald Trump, as Kyiv seeks to win fresh diplomatic and military support in its fight against Russia. The visit — scheduled for 9:30 am (1330 GMT) Washington time — comes as both Kyiv and Moscow ramp up long-range strikes and US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war remain at a standstill, more than four years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Relations between Zelensky and Trump have warmed since the beginning of Trump’s second term, with the US leader this month offering Kyiv licenses to produce Patriot air defense missiles and suggesting Kyiv’s strikes on Russia could help end the war. Zelensky is expected to push for fresh supplies of anti-ballistic missiles during his visit, as well as to discuss ways of restarting frozen talks on ending the fighting, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP on the condition of anonymity.
“Our number-one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer,” Zelensky said in a post on X announcing his arrival in the United States. Last month was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, as Russia rained hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles on Ukrainian towns and cities, according to the United Nations. “It is crucial that Washington approve the purchase of a package of Patriot missiles. That is super important,” the senior Ukrainian official told AFP.
During his visit, Zelensky also plans to attend a memorial ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham — a staunch Ukraine supporter who died unexpectedly this month aged 71, the Ukrainian official said.
Since his return to power in January last year, Trump has ended direct deliveries of US arms to Kyiv in favor of the PURL program, which allows European countries to buy weapons and then supply them to Ukraine. But Washington remains a major ally of Kyiv, providing it with intelligence and access to the Starlink satellite system that enables frontline communications.
At a previous meeting in Washington in October 2025, Zelensky failed to convince Trump to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles. The relationship appears to have healed since the pair’s stunning Oval Office exchange in February 2025 in front of the world’s cameras, when Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude and “gambling with World War Three.” The US leader has since changed his tone and during their last encounter in Turkey earlier this month, he offered words of encouragement, saying Zelensky had done “an amazing job.” He also announced his intention to allow Ukraine to produce anti-aircraft Patriot missiles, which Kyiv says it badly needs to face down Russian attacks.
In another sign of easing tensions, US influencers close to the MAGA orbit, such as Laura Loomer and Tim Pool, have recently voiced their support for Ukraine, after having long opposed aid to Kyiv. Zelensky spoke last week with Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about how to “reinvigorate diplomacy,” after the US-Israeli war in the Middle East put the brakes on talks. Previous US mediation efforts between Moscow and Kyiv broke down over disagreements over the question of Ukrainian territories claimed by Russia.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have meanwhile cooled, after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit in Alaska in August last year. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday denied that talks about an aerial ceasefire were under way. Earlier this month, he warned that the intensification of Ukrainian strikes on Russia would only prolong the war.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has multiplied its attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries, leading to a fuel crisis. Kyiv has also targeted cargo vessels in the Sea of Azov and a number of warehouses of the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries, known as “Russia’s Amazon.” Ukraine fired hundreds of drones at Russia, including the capital Moscow, hours before Zelensky was expected to meet Trump. Russia, for its part, has maintained its massive strikes on Ukraine and stopped Ukrainian agricultural exports by sea by bombarding the port of Odesa and vessels that use it. Russia fired more than 100 drones at Ukraine between late Monday and early Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian air force.
© 2024 AFP
