Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House ahead of Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral. Zelenskiy pressed for urgent air defenses, completion of a drone deal and a license to produce Patriot interceptors. A Pentagon letter said $400 million in authorized aid will not be spent until fiscal year 2029, drawing bipartisan criticism. Relations between the two leaders have warmed recently as Ukraine seeks expanded strategic cooperation.
Trump Welcomes Zelenskiy to White House Ahead of Lindsey Graham’s Funeral as Kyiv Presses for Urgent Air Defenses
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shake hands during a press conference after their lunch meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
U.S. President Donald Trump received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House on July 28, ahead of the funeral for Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent U.S. backer of stronger support for Kyiv.
A source familiar with the plans told Reuters that Zelenskiy was expected to have a brief private meeting with Trump — likely without reporters present — before attending Graham's funeral later that afternoon.
Urgent Military Requests
During the meeting, Zelenskiy pressed the administration for urgently needed air defense capabilities and sought completion of a pending drone agreement. He also raised President Trump's NATO summit pledge to issue a license allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot missile interceptors, which Kyiv sees as pivotal to its long-term defenses.
Aid Delays and Political Context
A Pentagon letter to lawmakers indicated the administration will not complete spending $400 million authorized for aid to Ukraine until fiscal year 2029. The delay has drawn bipartisan criticism from Democrats and some Republicans who say the funds were approved last year to address Kyiv's critical shortages of weapons to repel Russian missile strikes.
After the White House visit, Zelenskiy was scheduled to meet with senators on Capitol Hill to press further for support. The visit comes at a time when U.S.-Ukraine relations have warmed compared with earlier in Trump's term, even as some aid remains unsettled.
Remembering Lindsey Graham
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and a vocal advocate for robust U.S. engagement abroad, died suddenly of a heart ailment on July 11 at age 71. He had visited Kyiv the day before his death — his 10th trip since Russia's 2022 invasion — and was actively pushing a bipartisan package of new sanctions on Russia before he died. His sister, Darline Graham, has been appointed to fill the remainder of his term and has said she will run for a full term in November with Trump’s endorsement.
“Anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with the U.S. are our number-one priority,” Zelenskiy said on arrival, adding: “Peace needs to be brought closer.”
A White House official said Trump would discuss the peace process between Russia and Ukraine with Zelenskiy, and that now is the time to pursue an end to the war. Zelenskiy also spoke last week with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about prospects for renewed peace negotiations, and Ukrainian and U.S. officials could meet in the United States in the coming days.
Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Don Durfee and Deepa Babington.
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