Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to hold talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. In Kyiv, officials believe the American leader has become far more receptive to Ukraine’s position than before, the Financial Times reports.

According to Zelensky’s advisers and a source close to the Trump administration, the meeting could be the Ukrainian president’s best opportunity since the start of Trump’s second term to secure new US military aid and reinvigorate efforts to end the war with Russia.

Seventeen months after a tense Oval Office meeting that nearly triggered a serious crisis in relations between Washington and Kyiv, Zelensky hopes to turn his improved personal relationship with Trump into concrete military and political support.

According to sources familiar with the preparations for the talks, it is important for Zelensky not to overcomplicate the conversation and to convince Trump that supporting Ukraine serves US interests. In addition, the Ukrainian side intends to emphasize Trump’s desire to be associated with success.

Shortly before the NATO summit, Zelensky told the Financial Times that Trump had highly praised Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, calling them “very successful.” According to the Ukrainian president, he feels that the American leader has begun to see the war in a new light.

“President Trump wants to be where success is. This is tied not only to his personality but also to the approaching elections, his status, and the way he sees the possibility of ending this war,” Zelensky said.

As the FT notes, at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump agreed to grant Ukraine a license to produce interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems, satisfying one of Kyiv’s key requests.

Senior officials in the Ukrainian administration note that Zelensky has always considered personal meetings the most effective way to persuade Trump.

The Ukrainian president himself acknowledges that relations between them improved significantly after a brief conversation at the funeral of Pope Francis in April last year. However, the shadow of their contentious meeting at the White House in February 2025 will still loom over the current talks.

In addition to meeting with Trump, Zelensky also intends to take part in a memorial ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Ukraine’s most consistent supporters in the US Congress, who died suddenly on July 11 shortly after returning from Kyiv.

In the view of some Republicans who support Ukraine, Graham’s death could push Trump toward a tougher stance on Russia and help advance a new bipartisan bill on sanctions against Moscow.

Zelensky’s visit comes at a difficult political moment. Ukraine is in the midst of a major reshuffle in the government and military leadership, including the replacement of the defense minister and the chief of the General Staff.

According to the FT, these personnel decisions are meant to give fresh momentum to the military campaign, although they have also raised questions about Zelensky’s own political judgment.

During the talks, the Ukrainian president also intends to urge Washington to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, speed up deliveries of Patriot air defense systems, and expand cooperation in weapons production.

For his part, Trump is under pressure from various groups within his own administration. Although he has become more vocal in criticizing Putin’s unwillingness to compromise and has taken a more positive view of the Ukrainian army’s successes, some of his supporters from the America First camp still oppose long-term support for Kyiv.

According to the newspaper, an unexpected sign of shifting attitudes came from far-right activist Laura Loomer, who had previously criticized US aid to Ukraine and echoed pro-Russian talking points.

Last week, she visited Kyiv, met with Zelensky and Ukrainian officials, studied the country’s history, and witnessed Russian missile strikes.

Ukrainian authorities hope that her change of views will also influence Trump himself. After Loomer’s interview with Zelensky, the US president posted the conversation on his social network, adding a brief comment: “Very good!!!”