Ukraine’s Zelenskyy set to meet Trump as Iran and Ukraine wars converge

The US Senate volition ballot Tuesday connected Russian sanctions, days aft Ukraine attacked an Iranian vas successful the Caspian Sea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to conscionable United States President Donald Trump successful the White House connected Tuesday, a gathering that could coincide with the instauration of pugnacious caller sanctions connected Russia.

Zelenskyy, who volition be the ceremonial of US Senator Lindsey Graham, ⁠is besides scheduled to conscionable ‌with the Senate connected ⁠Tuesday ⁠evening, the Reuters quality bureau reported, citing 2 Senate aides.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Iran accuses Ukraine of deadly onslaught connected Caspian commercialized vessel
• list 2 of 3Russia and Ukraine commercialized attacks, sidesplitting 10, including kid successful Chernihiv
• list 3 of 3Iran warns Ukraine of retaliation aft deadly Caspian Sea strike

The ballot connected Russia sanctions, authorities that has been pending for months and was championed by Graham, could hap that aforesaid day.

If enacted, the Russian sanctions measure would ratchet up unit connected Moscow by imposing 100 percent tariffs connected goods from the 5 largest importers of Russian lipid and gas, including China and India.

In a last-minute intervention, Trump sought to adhd sanctions connected Iran to the aforesaid bill.  Zelenskyy told Trump state Laura Loomer past week that helium thinks the determination is simply a “great idea”.

Iran and Ukraine wars converge

The 2 wars, taking spot astir 2,500km (1,550 miles) apart, person converged successful caller days.

On Saturday, Ukraine attacked an Iranian tanker successful the Caspian Sea that Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, said was carrying drones and subject components from Iran to Russia. Iran has promised to retaliate.

By attacking Iranian ships, Kyiv is not lone doing itself a favour but besides attacking Washington’s “enemy fig one”, which volition delight the US, erstwhile US ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia, William Courtney, told Al Jazeera.

But portion Zelenskyy supports Iranian sanctions arsenic portion of the Russian sanctions bill, Ukraine is improbable to privation to beryllium excessively intimately associated with the “unpopular” US warfare connected Iran, helium added.

The US nary longer provides nonstop fiscal assistance to Ukraine for its warfare against the Russian invasion, but it inactive provides important quality for long-range strikes and sells weapons to Europe that are past passed connected to Ukraine.

Trump-Zelenskyy relationship

While their narration seemed tense during a heated speech successful the White House successful February 2025, relations betwixt Zelenskyy and Trump person improved importantly successful caller months.

The 2 leaders agreed earlier this period to let Ukraine to jointly nutrient Patriot aerial defence interceptors, a important constituent for the country’s defence against Russian aerial attacks.

Ukraine and the US are besides moving person to a woody connected associated drone production, a determination that could assistance the US drawback up with Ukraine successful this important subject technology.

Ukraine is connected way to nutrient 6 to 7 cardinal short-range onslaught drones this year, portion the Pentagon’s $1.1bn accumulation programme volition person ordered conscionable nether 200,000 drones cumulatively by February 2027.

Fighting continues

Heavy warring continues connected Ukraine’s beforehand lines, and long-range strikes are taking spot astir each day.

On Monday, Russian strikes connected eastbound Ukraine killed 7 radical and ⁠injured much than 20, officials said.

In Russia’s Belgorod region, a Ukrainian drone struck ‌a ‌commercial building, sidesplitting 1 idiosyncratic and injuring two.

Fighting is heaviest successful Ukraine’s Konstantinyvka and Pokrovsk directions, some of which are successful the Donetsk region.