President Donald Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday and tell him it’s “time to end the war,” a White House official told the Washington Examiner.
Zelensky, who stopped in the United Kingdom on Monday on his way to Washington, D.C., is expected to attend the memorial for the late South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who unexpectedly died earlier this month. Graham was a staunch Ukraine supporter who died shortly after returning from the war-torn country, and frequently called for both the Biden and Trump administrations to do more to help it.
“With President Zelensky, President Trump will discuss the ongoing peace process between Russia and Ukraine. Now is the time to end the war,” the official said.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna told the Washington Examiner, “This visit is first and foremost an opportunity to pay tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham — a great friend of Ukraine who worked tirelessly to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine partnership and global security, while ensuring that Russia pays a higher price for its aggression.”
“Ukraine believes that the adoption of the ‘Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’ would be the most fitting tribute to Senator Graham’s legacy,” she added. “Building on the outcomes of President Zelensky’s meeting with President Trump in Ankara, the visit will also focus on deepening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States. Key priorities include advancing defense cooperation, particularly the next steps toward concluding the U.S.-Ukraine drone cooperation agreement, as well as strengthening Ukraine’s air and missile defense ahead of winter.”
Zelensky said over the weekend that Ukraine has intelligence that indicates Russia is trying to assist Iran with satellite surveillance of Gulf states and U.S. military bases in the region.
“These images subsequently appear in Iran. At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia’s satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes — both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted,” he said. “On July 19 and 20 alone, four air bases fell within the area of interest of Russian satellites — two in Bahrain, one in Jordan, and one in Kuwait.”
Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One, “Well, we’ll find out if that’s true,” adding, “I’ll ask [Russian President Vladimir] Putin about it. We’ll find out.”
Zelensky’s claim comes after three U.S. service members were killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan on July 17.
Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth acknowledged that both Russia and China are “at different levels, enabling some of the things Iran is doing.”
Also over the weekend, Ukraine launched several long-range drones targeting ships in the Caspian Sea, hitting at least one Iranian commercial vessel, which Tehran said killed one mariner. Zelensky confirmed the strike on Saturday, saying Ukraine had achieved “very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea — including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the attack “cannot go unanswered.”
Iran and Russia have developed a closer relationship over the past few years, specifically after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Technological and weapons sharing has helped each in their respective wars, with Tehran’s supply of its one-way attack Shahed drones proving to be a significant move in Moscow’s air campaign. Iran has used those drones to target U.S. troops in the region at bases in Gulf states, including an attack at the start of the war that resulted in the deaths of six U.S. service members in Kuwait.
Trump’s relationship with Zelensky has vacillated during his time back in office, though he appeared to soften his stance in recent months as Ukraine had a string of battlefield successes. The two last met on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this month.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst told the Washington Examiner that he expects Zelensky to try to “reinforce the positive trend of the bilateral relationship and, I think, what’s specifically on his mind,” after the NATO summit.
TRUMP’S THREATS TO EXPAND IRAN STRIKES COME AS CONCERNS OVER TRANSPARENCY ESCALATE
During that meeting at the NATO summit, Trump said he would approve a license for Ukraine to produce its own Patriot missile interceptors, which has long been one of Ukraine’s most crucial needs from allies due to consistent Russian ballistic missile attacks. The Ukrainians’ ability to produce counter-drone systems at scale has significantly helped their defensive capabilities, but they are largely unable to stop more exquisite systems, such as ballistic missiles.
Ukraine has been a leader in the development of autonomous systems such as drones and drone boats, which it has used to target Russian warships in the Black Sea. Ukraine has offered its drone expertise to several allies, including the United States and Gulf countries.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
