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.
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.
Trump met with Zelensky in a crucial meeting. REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the White House on July 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. Getty Images
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.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at the White House for a meeting with US President Trump in Washington, DC on July 28, 2026. SHAWN THEW/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
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.
