On Tuesday, July 28th, US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. The closed-door meeting lasted approximately one hour and focused primarily on strengthening Ukraine's air defense, further military cooperation, and exploring possibilities for resuming diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Zelenskyy arrived at the west wing of the White House through a side entrance. According to journalists from the presidential press corps, the meeting began around 9:47 AM local time, and the Ukrainian president left the residence of the US head of state approximately at 10:52 AM. The meeting was not open to the media, and both presidents did not hold a joint press conference after its conclusion.
Zelenskyy subsequently described the conversation as good and stated that he discussed with Trump primarily American licenses allowing for the production of Patriot anti-missile systems. They also spoke about other proposals that could strengthen Ukraine's defense against Russian missile attacks.
One of the topics may have been the planned US-Ukrainian agreement on drones. Kyiv wants to offer the United States its experience and technology gained during the war, while Ukraine seeks access to American weapons, manufacturing capabilities, and investments. Work on the so-called Drone Deal continued even before Zelenskyy's visit to Washington.
The meeting took place before the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-time supporter of Ukraine, which both presidents were planning to attend. During the conversation, Zelenskyy expressed his condolences to Trump and described Graham as a true friend of Ukraine.
The meeting also confirmed the gradual improvement in relations between Trump and Zelenskyy. Although their positions have differed significantly in the past, Washington is now showing greater interest in Ukrainian drone technology and possibilities for joint arms production.