Zelenskyy and Trump meet behind closed doors: Key details
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump met at the White House. The main topics of the talks were strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war.
Everything known about the new Zelenskyy-Trump meeting is in RBC-Ukraine’s report below.
Key points:
- Zelenskyy and Trump met at the White House on Tuesday, July 28.
- Ukraine’s top priority in the talks is strengthening air defense, including interceptor missiles for Patriot systems.
- The two leaders are expected to discuss the peace process, a drone agreement, and a license to produce Patriot interceptors in Ukraine.
- Later today, the presidents will attend a memorial ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham.
- Zelenskyy also plans to meet with all 100 US senators.
At around 4:40 p.m. Kyiv time, it became known that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had arrived at the White House for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
After that, DW correspondent Misha Komadovsky, citing the White House on social media platform X, reported that the meeting between the two leaders began at 9:47 a.m. local time (4:47 p.m. Kyiv time). An unnamed source also told Komadovsky that the Ukrainian delegation arrived in Washington in a positive mood, hoping for a "positive meeting" with President Trump.
Updated 17:57
According to Komadovsky, Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump at the White House has ended.
The Ukrainian president left the White House at 10:52 a.m. local time (5:52 p.m. Kyiv time).
First details of the meeting
According to Zelenskyy, his meeting with Trump was good. The Ukrainian president expressed his condolences to the US leader over the death of Senator Lindsey Graham.
Photo: Zelenskyy meets with Trump at the White House (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Photo: Zelenskyy meets with Trump at the White House (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Photo: Zelenskyy meets with Trump at the White House (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Photo: Zelenskyy meets with Trump at the White House (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Photo: Zelenskyy meets with Trump at the White House (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
"The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help," Zelenskyy added.
The leaders also discussed intensifying diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s visit to the US
On Tuesday morning, July 28, the Ukrainian president said that he had already arrived in the United States.
In his Telegram channel, the Ukrainian leader said he was scheduled to meet with President Trump, his team, as well as people who could support Ukraine’s defense.
"Priority No. 1 is ballistic missile defense and strategic cooperation with America," Zelenskyy said.
In addition to the talks, the president will also attend a memorial ceremony for US Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters and a co-author of a bill aimed at increasing sanctions against Russia.
Meeting schedule
Earlier, Roll Call published the US president’s schedule, which included the time of his meeting with Zelenskyy: 4:30 p.m. Kyiv time in the Oval Office at the White House.
The talks are scheduled to take place behind closed doors. After that, Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and later in the evening attend a memorial ceremony for Lindsey Graham.
Meanwhile, the Office of the President of Ukraine announced that Zelenskyy will also meet with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Zelenskyy is expected to go to the Capitol, where he plans to meet with all 100 US senators. The meeting is expected to take place at around 1:00 a.m. Kyiv time.
The Office of the President said Zelenskyy will speak with senators who co-sponsored the bill aimed at strengthening sanctions against Russia.
What Zelenskyy will discuss with Trump
According to Reuters, citing a Ukrainian source, one of the main topics of the talks will be providing Ukraine with interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems.
According to the source, Ukraine is under daily attack and needs approval from Trump and his team to purchase missiles for Patriot systems, emphasizing that saving lives is the top priority.
In an interview with Sky News ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy said he plans to discuss air defense supplies with Trump, the peace negotiation process, and possible formats for future talks.
Zelenskyy is also expected to raise the issue of finalizing the drone agreement between Ukraine and the United States.
Meanwhile, CNN, citing sources, reported that one of the key topics of the meeting would be the peace process between Ukraine and Russia. A White House source told the channel that it is time to end this war.
In addition, Reuters previously reported that Kyiv and Washington had discussed a proposal for ending air strikes, which could be presented to Russia as part of a new round of peace initiatives.
How Trump's attitude toward Zelenskyy has changed
According to The Wall Street Journal, the US president has become more supportive of the Ukrainian leader in recent weeks.
Sources told the outlet that Trump was impressed by Ukraine's resilience and battlefield successes. His position was also influenced by meetings with Zelenskyy at international summits, conversations with Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, and talks with far-right American activist Laura Loomer, who changed her views after visiting Ukraine.
At the same time, sources told the outlet that Trump's position can change quickly.
Chance for new US support
Kyiv believes this is the best opportunity since the start of Trump's second term to secure new US military support and advance peace initiatives, the Financial Times reported.
FT journalists also wrote that Trump has become more supportive of Ukraine after months of contacts with Zelenskyy and his team. The Ukrainian president's task is to convince Trump that supporting Ukraine serves US interests and appeal to his desire to be associated with success.
According to Zelenskyy's advisers, the Ukrainian president is most effective at persuading Trump during face-to-face meetings.
FT noted that Trump has become more critical of Putin and has spoken more positively about Ukraine's achievements, although some members of his administration who follow the "America First" approach remain skeptical about supporting Kyiv.
Kyiv hopes that Loomer's change in position will also influence Trump's views, the agency added.
Previous meeting between the presidents
Earlier, it was reported that the previous meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump took place on July 8 on the sidelines of the NATO summit. At the time, the US president said Washington could allow Ukraine to produce interceptors for Patriot systems.
In addition, US company Lockheed Martin, which owns the technology to manufacture these missiles, is already considering a possible production facility in Ukraine.
