Zelensky expected at White House for talks with Trump amid escalating strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House on Tuesday for talks with Donald Trump, in an effort to secure US support against Russia. The meeting, scheduled for 9:30am (1330 GMT), comes as Kyiv and Moscow both ramp up long-range strikes, with diplomatic efforts launched by Washington remaining at a standstill more than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion.
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According to France 24, more than 390 Ukrainian drones targeted the Moscow region overnight, with local authorities reporting some damage to residential buildings. The visit follows a period of strained relations between Zelensky and Trump, though recent weeks have seen the US president show greater indulgence toward his Ukrainian counterpart.
A White House official told AFP last Friday that the two men would meet on Tuesday, on the same day as a planned tribute for Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Ukraine supporter who died this month at age 71.
Key claims
The drone attack on the Moscow region was reported by the Russian capital's mayor, with local authorities confirming damage to residential buildings. This escalation comes alongside continued US support for Ukraine, despite changes in the delivery of military aid.
France 24 reports that since returning to power in January last year, Trump has largely ended direct deliveries of US arms to Kyiv, instead using the PURL programme, which allows Europeans to buy weapons and supply them to Ukraine. Washington remains a major ally, providing intelligence and access to the Starlink satellite system that enables frontline troops to communicate.
At a previous meeting in Washington in October 2025, Zelensky failed to convince Trump to provide Tomahawk cruise missiles. Earlier that year, in February, heated exchanges in the Oval Office saw both leaders raise their voices on television, with Trump accusing Zelensky of ingratitude and "gambling with World War Three".
However, Trump's tone has since shifted. 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.
US-Russia ties have also cooled recently after efforts to launch diplomatic talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that talks about an aerial ceasefire were under way, while Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned his US counterpart Marco Rubio about supplying weapons to Ukraine.