WASHINGTON — President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, met behind closed doors for almost exactly one hour at the White House Tuesday, huddling to discuss stalled peace talks with Russia as well as Zelensky’s request for more American weapons.
Zelensky, dressed in a black suit with no tie, arrived and departed the West Wing via a side entrance, avoiding questions from the media. The Oval Office meeting with Trump was also closed to the press.
In a post on social media, the Ukrainian president said he and Trump discussed licenses for Patriot missiles, which have long been atop Zelensky’s wish list.
“The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help. We also spoke about diplomacy – it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated,” Zelensky wrote.
“Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication. I am grateful to the United States for its firm support.”
The Ukrainian president also included pictures in his post showing him and Trump smiling side by side in the Oval Office. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth were also in the meeting representing the US.
The relationship between Trump and Zelensky has improved after a shaky start, culminating in a February 2025 verbal argument involving Trump, Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance in front of watching reporters.
Vance skipped the Trump-Zelensky meeting, instead traveling to the Capitol for a ceremony commemorating the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Both Trump and Zelensky will attend Graham’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral Tuesday afternoon.
Graham visited the Ukrainian president in Kyiv the day before he died and was pushing his colleagues to pass additional sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor.
“Ukraine, he was very militant about,” Trump said of Graham during a phone interview on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning. “I mean, Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you.”
Zelensky also has an unlikely new supporter in the form of Laura Loomer, the ultra-conservative influencer who is close to President Trump and acknowledged during a visit to Ukraine last week that she “was bamboozled by Russian propaganda” when she expressed skepticism of Kyiv’s government and war effort.
