Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Lindsey Graham’s funeral
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday (July 28, 2026) ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday (July 28, 2026) ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine. Trump is set to welcome Mr. Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honour Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports. Zelenskyy posted on X early on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit. “Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.” Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: Laura Loomer, known primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with the president.
Traveling through Ukraine, Ms. Loomer has witnessed Moscow’s barrage firsthand and interviewed Mr. Zelenskyy while admitting she was “bamboozled by Russian propaganda.” Loomer said she spoke to Mr. Trump after she met with Mr. Zelenskyy in Ukraine last week, and she also expects to meet with the U.S. president once she returns from her trip. “It’s looking good for Ukraine, right?” Ms. Loomer said during an interview with The Associated Press. “Going into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is looking pretty good.” Russia’s support for Iran Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Zelenskyy has also warned that Russia has been aiding Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Gulf region that later appear in Iran. The Ukrainian president also asserted that there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s images and subsequent Iranian strikes. “The purpose is clear,” Mr. Zelenskyy said earlier this month. “None of us in the world should turn a blind eye to one very simple fact: Evil always seeks ways to make things worse and spread further.” On Monday (July 27m, 2026), Mr. Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran.
“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he travelled to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.” Still, he said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy has a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. In addition to his White House meeting, Mr. Zelenskyy will head to the Capitol to meet with senators on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) evening after Graham’s funeral at Washington Cathedral, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting who was not authorised to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham’s sanctions legislation this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess. The bill has dozens of backers from both parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.
The BriefWire