“Warming of relations”: how the war with Iran changed Trump’s attitude towards Zelensky
Фото: REUTERS
Relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have improved recently, and one reason for this could be the US-Israeli war against Iran.
This is reported by The Guardian .
The publication recalled that after a sharp conflict between Trump and Zelensky in the White House in February 2025, the parties resumed regular contacts. The next meeting took place this week in Washington, where Zelensky arrived for the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
The presidents previously met at the NATO summit in Ankara, where Trump, who had previously called Zelensky a “dictator,” said he was willing to license Ukraine to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles, although he later expressed doubts about the initiative.
Attention is also drawn to Zelensky’s meeting in Kyiv with American far-right activist Laura Loomer . After it, she stated that she had been misled by Russian propaganda, and also reported that she had discussed her conclusions with Trump by phone.
According to the publication, the key factor in changing the White House’s attitude towards the Ukrainian leadership was the war with Iran. Ukraine, which has gained significant experience in combating Iranian Shahed drones during the years of full-scale war, offered the United States and its allies its own technologies and expert assistance.
“At a time when he’s mired in war, faced with failed military decisions, and the Ukrainians are suddenly turning to him not with a request for American charity, but with an offer of help, it seems quite plausible to me that this could be one of the reasons why Trump’s attitude has changed so noticeably,” said Quincy Institute vice president Trita Parsi.
At the same time, analysts warn that such a strategy could have negative consequences. In their opinion, the increasingly close intertwining of Russia’s war against Ukraine with the US-Iran conflict could expand the geography of the confrontation, as well as affect support for Ukraine among supporters of the MAGA movement.
Matt Dass, vice president of the Center for International Policy, said that Zelensky’s attempts to help Trump on the Iranian issue could weaken Ukraine’s support in Europe, as Kyiv indirectly finds itself in the same camp as Israel.
“Attempting to get closer to Israel in the war against Iran significantly undermines Ukraine’s position, as Israel is effectively trying to do to the Palestinians exactly what Russia tried to do to Ukraine, namely, erase them as a people,” Dass said.
As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. After the talks, the Ukrainian leader reported that the parties discussed strengthening Ukrainian air defense, joint production of interceptors for Patriot systems, and further diplomatic steps.
As reported, the US Senate has completed work on a bill on new tough sanctions against Russia. The document provides for economic pressure not only on Moscow, but also on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas.
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