Diplomacy · Washington
Zelenski to meet Trump at White House on Tuesday amid renewed push for peace talks
A White House official said Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski will meet Donald Trump in Washington on July 28, the same day as a memorial for the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The visit follows talks with US envoys about reviving diplomacy with Russia.
In brief
A US official on July 24 said President Zelenski will meet President Trump at the White House on Tuesday, July 28.
Zelenski spoke on July 22 with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about revitalizing peace talks and a proposed aerial ceasefire to present to Russia.
The same day, Washington will host a memorial for Senator Graham, who died July 11 and visited Ukraine ten times. Trump will speak at the service.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer said in a July 24 X post that Zelenski wants to attend the Graham memorial and that the Ukrainian leader expects to be in the US next week.
A Ukrainian source disclosed that officials are working on an aerial ceasefire plan to be put to Russia, with some hoping economic pressure from drone strikes will make Moscow more flexible.
- 11 JulSenator Lindsey Graham dies at age 71 after returning from Kyiv
- 22 JulZelenski discusses reviving peace talks with US envoys Witkoff and Kushner
- 24 JulWhite House official confirms Trump-Zelenski meeting set for July 28
- 28 JulScheduled meeting at the White House and Graham memorial service in Washington
Confirmation of the White House meeting
A White House official told AFP on Friday that President Zelenski will meet President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Kyiv has not yet officially confirmed the meeting, and the Ukrainian leader's schedule remains pending final approval from the US side. The encounter is set for the same day as a memorial tribute in Washington for Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, who died on July 11 at age 71.
“President Zelenski is to meet with President Trump on Tuesday at the White House.”
Peace diplomacy gains momentum
The meeting comes after Zelenski spoke on Wednesday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about what he described as "revitalizing diplomacy" aimed at ending the war with Russia. A Ukrainian source said officials from both countries have discussed an aerial ceasefire proposal, which would be presented to Moscow as part of a new round of peace initiatives. The source noted that Ukraine had previously offered ceasefire terms to Vladimir Putin, but those were rejected. Some officials believe the sustained Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Russian economic targets may yet soften the Kremlin's position.
The Graham factor and the memorial
Senator Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month after returning from a trip to Kyiv, was a vocal backer of Ukraine. He visited the country ten times since the Russian invasion in February 2022 and pushed for sanctions against Russia and robust US aid. His memorial service on Tuesday will feature a speech by Trump, and the burial is set for Wednesday in South Carolina. Laura Loomer, a far-right Trump activist, interviewed Zelenski in Kyiv on Friday morning and wrote on X that the Ukrainian president intended to travel to the US and wanted to attend Graham's memorial.
Shifting US focus
US mediation between Kyiv and Moscow had been paused after the outbreak of the war in the Middle East in late February, as Washington concentrated on Iran. Friday's announcement signals a return to active diplomacy even as the Middle East crisis continues. Zelenski's engagement with Loomer, who is seen as having direct access to Trump, underscores the Ukrainian administration's effort to maintain close ties across the American political spectrum.
What happens next
The Tuesday meeting will be the first direct talks between the two leaders since the Middle East conflict sidelined the Ukraine file. The aerial truce proposal remains the central diplomatic initiative. While the Ukrainian source acknowledged past rejections by Russia, they suggested the economic pressure of the ongoing strikes may create a new opening. The White House has not yet released a formal agenda for the meeting.