Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham's funeral

By — Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/zelenskyy-will-visit-trump-at-the-white-house-before-sen-grahams-funeral Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham's funeral World Jul 28, 2026 10:01 AM EDT 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. WATCH LIVE: Sen. Lindsey Graham remembered in funeral service at Washington National Cathedral 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. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "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." READ MORE: From a Kyiv bomb shelter, Laura Loomer explains her shift on Russia's war in Ukraine In a Fox News Channel interview on Tuesday, Trump recalled Graham's hawkishness and said the Republican South Carolina senator's support for Ukraine never wavered. Trump said Graham had suggested it was time to make a deal with Iran but no similar suggestion for the Russia-Ukraine war. "Ukraine he's very militant about," Trump said on "Fox & Friends." "I mean, Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you." Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: Laura Loomer, known primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with the Republican U.S. president. Traveling through Ukraine, Loomer has witnessed Moscow's barrage firsthand and interviewed Zelenskyy while admitting she was "bamboozled by Russian propaganda." WATCH: How volunteers with 3D printers make weapons for Ukraine Loomer said she spoke to Trump after she met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine last week and she 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