Momentum shifts for Zelenskyy in Washington

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pulled off a feat Tuesday that seemed impossible a year ago: convincing Washington that Kyiv can win the war. Unlike Zelenskyy’s tortured Oval Office visit in February 2025, he left a meeting with President Donald Trump in high spirits. And he capped off the trip with another victory, watching the Senate overwhelmingly vote to advance new sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil. It was a high note in a day that proved a remarkable turnabout from Zelenskyy’s previous disastrous visit. The vote — which the Ukrainian leader witnessed from the gallery inside the Senate chamber — puts Congress one step closer to achieving a top priority for Zelenskyy and is the latest signal that Kyiv’s fortunes aren’t just improving on the battlefield. “The whole program here is to bring Putin to the negotiating table,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said following a meeting with the Ukrainian president, senators and some House lawmakers. “Zelenskyy believed that Putin would think a little bit more about trying to negotiate a settlement if the sanctions were in place and actually creating more irritation and, as he put it, I believe, ‘anger’ with the war with the Russian people.” The Ukrainian leader emphasized that the sanctions could help solidify the gains Ukraine has made in combat and force Putin into peace talks, even as he renewed his request for expanded access to key weapons systems. It’s clear that Zelenskyy’s pitch is making an impact, and lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum seemed to endorse his strategy. And it probably doesn’t hurt that there is an emerging consensus that Ukraine might be able to defeat Russia. “What’s marked the momentum shift is the success that they’re having on the battlefield,” said Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.). The sanctions vote also represented a day of remembrance for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the champions of the legislation and a key ally of Ukraine. Zelenskyy attended funeral services for Graham in Washington on Tuesday along with Trump, top lawmakers and other foreign dignitaries. “There is an entirely different vibe than a year ago with Trump and Zelenskyy given that Ukraine is doing much better in the war,” said a former Trump administration official, who like some others, was granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. The recent shift in Kyiv’s political fortunes includes the newfound support of some MAGA loyalists, most notably conservative influencer Laura Loomer, who reversed her previous vocal support for Russia following a recent visit to Kyiv. Trump also said at this month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that he planned to allow Kyiv to produce much needed Patriot air defense missiles. Zelenskyy, in the bipartisan meeting ahead of the vote, emphasized the impact sanctions could have on the course of the war. He also underscored several continued requests, according to senators who attended, including licensing to produce Patriot missile defense batteries, securing supplies of PAC-3 interceptors used in the Patriot system and sustained access to the Starlink satellite service to assist targeting for long-range attacks. The requests for military hardware and targeting assistance, along with sanctions on Moscow, mirror Zelenskyy’s pitch to lawmakers on the sidelines of the NATO summit three weeks ago, Rounds said. Zelenskyy and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who also visited the Capitol on Tuesday, told lawmakers the legislation could have more of an effect on the war than any fighting, according to Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho). “Both were of the opinion that this was at least as effective, maybe more effective, at bringing this war to an end that everybody wants to see. And this piece of legislation may have more effect than anything that’s done on the battlefield,” Risch said during a press conference after the meeting. Yehor Cherniev, a Ukrainian lawmaker and member of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party, said the late