Gambiaj.com – (WASHINGTON, D.C) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy secured a significant political boost in Washington on Tuesday, leaving the US capital with renewed support from President Donald Trump and bipartisan lawmakers as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its position against Russia.
The visit marked a striking turnaround from Zelenskyy’s previous encounter with Trump in February 2025, when a tense Oval Office meeting exposed deep divisions between the two leaders. This time, Zelenskyy emerged from his meeting with Trump in high spirits and later watched from the Senate gallery as lawmakers overwhelmingly advanced legislation targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil.
Momentum Shifts in Ukraine’s Favor
The developments point to what US lawmakers and officials describe as a changing political and military landscape in Ukraine’s favor.
Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, said the central objective of the proposed sanctions was to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and push him towards negotiations.
“The whole program here is to bring Putin to the negotiating table,” Rounds said after meeting Zelenskyy alongside senators and members of the House of Representatives.
Zelenskyy argued that tougher sanctions could help consolidate Ukraine’s battlefield gains and encourage Moscow to enter peace talks. At the same time, he renewed his calls for greater access to advanced US military equipment.
Senator John Boozman, a Republican from Arkansas, said Ukraine’s recent battlefield performance was a major factor behind the changing mood in Washington.
“What’s marked the momentum shift is the success that they’re having on the battlefield,” Boozman said.
Push for Patriots and Starlink
During his discussions with lawmakers, Zelenskyy reportedly reiterated several key military requests.
They include permission for Ukraine to produce Patriot missile defense batteries, increased access to PAC-3 interceptors used by the Patriot system, and continued access to Starlink satellite services, which Kyiv relies on for communications and military operations.
The requests closely mirror those Zelenskyy made to US lawmakers during the NATO summit three weeks ago, according to Rounds.
Trump has also signaled a willingness to support Ukraine’s air-defense capabilities. At the NATO summit in Ankara earlier this month, he said Washington planned to allow Kyiv to produce much-needed Patriot air defense missiles.
Zelenskyy and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who also visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday, told lawmakers that the proposed sanctions could have an impact on ending the war comparable to, or greater than, military action on the battlefield.
Senator Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, said both leaders believed the legislation could be highly effective in bringing the conflict to an end.
Sanctions Target Russia’s Oil Buyers
The Senate legislation is designed to impose significant economic penalties on countries that continue purchasing Russian oil, with lawmakers arguing that the measure could increase pressure on Moscow to negotiate.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation was designed to target major buyers such as China and India while protecting US allies from unintended consequences.
The bill would give Trump broad discretion to impose economic penalties, including tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries purchasing significant quantities of Russian oil.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the measure as potentially the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s “greatest political achievement.”
Graham, a prominent supporter of Ukraine and one of the legislation’s leading champions, died unexpectedly. Zelenskyy attended funeral services for Graham in Washington on Tuesday alongside Trump, senior US lawmakers, and foreign dignitaries.
From Tension to Alliance
The latest developments represent a dramatic change in the relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy compared with their highly contentious meeting in February 2025.
“There is an entirely different vibe than a year ago with Trump and Zelenskyy given that Ukraine is doing much better in the war,” a former Trump administration official said.
The shift has also extended beyond Washington’s political establishment. Some previously staunch supporters of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement have begun expressing greater sympathy for Ukraine.
Conservative influencer Laura Loomer, who had previously voiced strong support for Russia, recently changed her position after visiting Kyiv.
Ukrainian lawmaker Yehor Cherniev, a member of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party, said the latest Trump-Zelenskyy meeting showed that earlier disagreements between Washington and Kyiv had been overcome.
He described the two countries as now acting “as allies.”
Bill Faces Further Hurdles
Despite the momentum, the sanctions legislation is far from becoming law.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune wants to fast-track the measure and secure passage as early as this week. However, significant obstacles remain in the Senate, while the legislation faces an even tougher battle in the House.
The White House has so far offered only limited support for the measure, and Republican leaders in both chambers had previously avoided advancing it in deference to Trump.
The House has now adjourned for its summer recess and will not return until September, meaning the legislation cannot become law before then.
House Democrats are also expected to raise concerns about provisions granting the president broad authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries buying substantial quantities of Russian oil.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, nevertheless argued that the Senate package represents the most realistic sanctions proposal capable of becoming law.
“We need to talk to folks about what their concerns are,” Shaheen said, adding that lawmakers had time to work through the disagreements before the House returns.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone commanders are expected to brief Senate Republicans on Wednesday about Ukraine’s drone production capabilities, another indication that Kyiv is seeking to deepen its military cooperation with Washington as the war enters another critical phase.
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