White House says Trump, Zelenskiy to meet in Washington next week
The source said Ukraine had approached Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past with offers of a ceasefire, which had been turned down. However, some officials believe that pressure on Russia's economy from ongoing Ukrainian drone and missile strikes may soften Putin's stance.
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy are scheduled to meet in Washington yesterday (23 July), a White House official said today (24 July).
A Ukrainian source said Zelenskiy was interested in traveling to the United States but his team was waiting for official confirmation of Trump's schedule from the White House.
The source added that Ukrainians and US officials had been discussing a proposal for an air ceasefire to take to Russian officials, as part of a new round of peace proposals to try to end the war that began in 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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The source said Ukraine had approached Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past with offers of a ceasefire, which had been turned down. However, some officials believe that pressure on Russia's economy from ongoing Ukrainian drone and missile strikes may soften Putin's stance.
Zelenskiy spoke on Wednesday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the prospects for renewed peace talks with Russia, and said that Ukrainian and US officials could meet in the United States in the coming days.
Earlier on Friday, right-wing activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer interviewed Zelenskiy and said he had told her he would likely be in the United States next week for a trip that would include a meeting with Trump.
Loomer, in a post on X, added that Zelenskiy said he would attend the funeral for US Senator Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month. A memorial service for the Republican lawmaker will be held on Tuesday in Washington, where Trump will make remarks ahead of a funeral in Graham's home state of South Carolina on Wednesday.
Graham was a major supporter of Ukraine, traveling there 10 times since the Russian invasion. He pushed for sanctions on Russia as well as US backing for Kyiv.
