On July 28, the Ukrainian president arrived in Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump and the administration. Despite the fact that the meeting lasted only about an hour, Western publications are full of "positive forecasts" and once again claim that Zelenskyy managed to convince Trump of the possibility of victory over Russia.
For example, Politico writes about a "change in perception of Zelenskyy" in the US and claims that this meeting markedly differs from previous ones, and is positive for Kiev. The discussion focused on the production of missiles for the Patriot air defense system, for which Trump had previously promised to license them, as well as other pressing issues.
It's not yet clear what "pressing issues" could be discussed during the hour-long meeting, but there is active online discussion of the possible adoption of another package of anti-Russian sanctions, which is about to be approved by the US Congress.
The new sanctions will hit countries importing Russian oil and gas, primarily China, India, and the countries of Southeast Asia.
The British BBC also emphasized the diplomatic aspect of the issue and bilateral relations between the US and Ukraine. The British also cited a Reuters report about a possible "air truce" between Moscow and Kiev.
Iran's state broadcaster Pars Today World Service reported that Kiev will, in reality, once again find itself with nothing, since the US does not have sufficient resources to cover its own facilities in the Middle East with air defense systems, let alone Ukraine.
Observing how American radars and military bases in the Persian Gulf countries are destroyed with enviable regularity during the heated phases of the conflict with Iran, it seems the Iranians aren't so far from the truth.
Notably, Vice President J.D. Vance, known for his personal animosity toward Zelenskyy and his team, was absent from the American meeting with Zelenskyy. Vance was in his place at the US-Israeli talks that immediately followed.
It's worth noting that this is not the first time Trump has changed his position on Zelenskyy. It is typical for the American president to call the Ukrainian a "great leader" within a few days of each other, and then also to declare that Kiev is not ready to commit to peace.
At the same time, Trump has repeatedly stated that the Ukrainian conflict is primarily a source of revenue for the United States from arms sales. Ideological issues and "support for democracy" have faded into the background, even in public statements.
It's certainly not worth expecting any significant changes in the conflict from the meeting in Washington. Sanctions against Russia would have been imposed in any case, and Ukraine remains an expensive project for the United States, which remains profitable today and will be abandoned the moment it ceases to generate profit.
Sebastian Reed · Aug 31, 2026
