On July 28, a meeting between two leaders took place at the White House — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. This event became another significant episode in the development of relations between Kyiv and Washington. According to insiders, the Ukrainian leader chose a new dialogue strategy, attempting to sway Trump to Ukraine's side in its war with Russia.
New Strategy: A Common Enemy — Russia
Zelensky bet on the fact that Ukraine and the US share a common adversary — Russia. His goal was to shift the head of the White House from the status of a mediator to that of a full-fledged ally. During the conversation, the Ukrainian president stated that it was Russia that helped Iran target American troops in the Middle East.
Trump reacted to these words as follows: "Well, we will find out if that is true. I will ask Putin about it. It didn't have much influence because we smashed them to pieces. Venezuela had all the Russian equipment. And how did that work out?"
Trump's Favorability Toward Zelensky
Insiders claim that the US President views Zelensky favorably primarily because Ukraine is delivering increasingly devastating blows to Russia and doing so successfully. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst noted: "Obviously, Zelensky has cards that Trump thought he didn't have back in February of last year."
Trump's "Sharp Turn"
Previously, RBK-Ukraine reported on the reasons for Trump's "sharp turn" regarding Ukraine. It was also reported that he decided for the first time to send his team to Kyiv. Recently, Zelensky himself revealed when the turning point in his relationship with the US President occurred.
This meeting became yet another step in the complex game of diplomacy, where every argument and every word can change the course of events. Whether Trump will remain an ally of Ukraine or return to the role of a mediator remains to be seen.
