Zelenskyy to Visit Trump at White House07/28 06:10

   President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet 
Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham's funeral, their second sit-down this 
month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president's ear had a widely 
publicized change of heart on Russia's war against Ukraine.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr 
Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham's funeral, their 
second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. 
president's ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia's war against 
Ukraine.

   Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader 
travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was 
visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to 
punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

   Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and 
listed the goals for his visit.

   "Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those 
who can support our defense," the Ukrainian leader said. "Our number one 
priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. 
Peace needs to be brought closer."

   Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: Laura Loomer, known 
primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with the 
president. Traveling through Ukraine, Loomer has witnessed Moscow's barrage 
firsthand and interviewed Zelenskyy while admitting she was "bamboozled by 
Russian propaganda."

   Loomer said she spoke to Trump after she met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine last 
week, and she also expects to meet with the U.S. president once she returns 
from her trip.

   "It's looking good for Ukraine, right?" Loomer said during an interview with 
The Associated Press. "Going into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is 
looking pretty good."

   Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy has also warned that Russia has been aiding 
Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the 
Gulf region that later appear in Iran. The Ukrainian president also asserted 
that there was a "clear correlation" between Russia's images and subsequent 
Iranian strikes.

   "The purpose is clear," Zelenskyy said earlier this month. "None of us in 
the world should turn a blind eye to one very simple fact: Evil always seeks 
ways to make things worse and spread further."

   On Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for 
Iran.

   "I don't think they've been doing it, certainly not at a high level," Trump 
told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. "And if they have, 
it has been very un-impactful."

   Still, he said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir 
Putin.

   Zelenskyy has a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. In 
addition to his White House meeting, Zelenskyy will head to the Capitol to meet 
with senators on Tuesday evening after Graham's funeral at Washington National 
Cathedral, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting who was not 
authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

   Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham's sanctions legislation 
this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before 
lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.

   The bill has dozens of backers from both parties and is seen as the main 
policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his 
aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world's top five purchasers of 
Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.

   The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin, senior Russian 
political and military leaders, and Russian financial institutions and energy 
projects.

   Trump met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit earlier this 
month in Ankara, Turkey, and announced that the U.S. will give Ukraine a 
license to make Patriot air defense systems, a long-running request from Kyiv 
in order to counter Russian missile attacks.

   The air defense systems are expensive to make and are in high demand. Noting 
that he and Zelenskyy have "actually developed a good relationship," Trump said 
the U.S. will help Ukraine produce the Patriots and that the country would be 
able to produce them "pretty quickly."