WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� and will meet Tuesday ahead of , their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president鈥檚 ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia鈥檚 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 and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.
But Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: and her influence with the president. Traveling through Ukraine, Loomer has witnessed Moscow鈥檚 barrage firsthand and interviewed Zelenskyy while admitting she was 鈥渂amboozled by Russian propaganda.鈥�
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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 looking good for Ukraine, right?鈥� . 鈥淕oing into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is looking pretty good.鈥�
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 鈥渃lear correlation鈥� between Russia鈥檚 images and subsequent Iranian strikes.
鈥淭he purpose is clear,鈥� Zelenskyy said earlier this month. 鈥淣one 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.鈥�
On Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they鈥檝e been doing it, certainly not at a high level,鈥� Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. 鈥淎nd if they have, it has been very un-impactful.鈥�
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鈥檚 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 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 from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world鈥檚 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 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 鈥渁ctually developed a good relationship,鈥� Trump said the U.S. will help Ukraine produce the Patriots and that the country would be able to produce them 鈥減retty quickly.鈥�
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