Zelensky received at the White House for the third time while Trump is more conciliatory

A favorable moment? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House on Tuesday July 28 to meet with Donald Trump and once again try to win the support of his American counterpart against Russia.

The visit scheduled for 9:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. GMT) comes as Ukraine and Russia are ramping up their long-range strikes, while diplomatic efforts by the United States have stalled, more than four years after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

During the night, more than 390 Ukrainian drones headed towards the Moscow region, the mayor of the Russian capital reported on Tuesday. Local authorities reported damage to some homes.

Relations between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump have long been tense, sometimes stormy, but the American president has shown more complacency towards his Ukrainian counterpart in recent weeks.

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A White House official announced to AFP on Friday that the two men would meet in Washington on Tuesday, the same day as the tribute planned for Senator Lindsey Graham, a fervent defender of the Ukrainian cause, who died on July 11 at the age of 71.

“We are preparing for a meeting with the President of the United States and his team,” Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, underlined, saying he hopes that Washington “will continue to support Ukraine and that we will be able to end this war with a dignified peace.”

Since his return to power, Donald Trump has largely interrupted direct deliveries of American weapons to kyiv, preferring the PURL program, which allows Europeans to buy them and then transfer them to Ukraine.

Despite everything, the United States remains a major ally of Ukraine: they notably provide it with information and access to the Starlink system, which ensures communications for its army on the front.

“Great job”

During a previous interview in Washington, in October 2025, Volodymyr Zelensky failed to convince Donald Trump to deliver Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.

And during a memorable meeting in February 2025, the two presidents had an argument in front of the cameras in the Oval Office, with Donald Trump accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of ingratitude and of “playing with World War III”.

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Donald Trump subsequently changed his attitude and, during their last meeting in early July in Turkey, he sent words of encouragement to the Ukrainian president, declaring that he was doing “a wonderful job”.

He also expressed his desire to authorize Ukraine to produce Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, of which it is sorely lacking, to ward off Russian strikes.

Another sign of relaxation, American influencers close to the Maga galaxy, such as Laura Loomer and Tim Pool, recently gave their support to Ukraine, after having long been opposed to aid to this country.

Volodymyr Zelensky spoke last week with Donald Trump’s emissaries – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – in order to “revitalize diplomacy” which has been at a standstill since the start of the war in the Middle East at the end of February.

Previous American attempts at mediation between Moscow and kyiv were unsuccessful due to disagreements over the thorny issue of Ukrainian territories claimed by Russia.

Colder relations with Moscow

Relations between Moscow and Washington have cooled recently, after initiatives by the United States which resulted in an invitation to Vladimir Putin by Donald Trump for a summit in August 2025.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied on Monday that discussions on a ceasefire in the air were underway. At the beginning of July, he warned that the intensification of Ukrainian strikes in Russia would only “prolong” the war.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has increased attacks on Russian refineries and oil depots, causing a fuel crisis. It targeted cargo ships in the Sea of ​​Azov and several warehouses of Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries.

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Russia, for its part, continues its massive bombings and has put a halt to Ukrainian maritime agricultural exports by repeatedly striking the Ukrainian port of Odessa and the ships that use it.

During a meeting in Manila last week, the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov warned his American counterpart Marco Rubio against continuing arms deliveries to Ukraine.

First meeting between the two men since September 2025, it only lasted around thirty minutes. Marco Rubio then reiterated Washington’s desire to play a “constructive” role in ending the war but was cautious about Moscow’s proposals.

The last telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump dates back to July 5.

With AFP