Zelensky seeks to seduce Trumpism

WashingtonWithin some sectors of Trumpism, Ukraine is no longer viewed with the same suspicion as a year ago. On Tuesday, the Volodymyr Zelensky leaving the White House was not the president tortured by the shouts of his American counterpart, Donald Trump, but a man optimistic about the chances of regaining Washington's support. The change, moreover, occurs at a time when Kyiv has theoretically lost one of its great allies in the American Congress following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham. But it seems to have gained the sympathy of an influential name within the tycoon's inner circle and the MAGA sphere: Laura Loomer.

The well-known far-right influencer managed to place herself within Trump's court during the 2024 presidential campaign, and has been climbing positions since the Republican returned to power. Beyond managing to become a reference loudspeaker for the MAGA and ultraconservative orbit, Loomer also won over the president. Last year, she personally went to the White House to demand resignations from Trump following the Signalgate scandal. Shortly thereafter, then National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was removed from his post. It was Waltz who had mistakenly added a journalist from The Atlantic. Loomer, who has campaigned all this time against sending military aid to Ukraine and has dedicated herself to spreading pro-Russian propaganda, recently visited the war-torn country at the invitation of the Ukrainian government itself. Over the past few weeks, she has been sharing her travel experiences on social media, where she was able to interview Zelensky in person. Now, Loomer's comments on X about Ukraine are in favor of Kyiv. A change of position that many of the MAGA followers have received with positive comments, as a kind of revelation.

Loomer's new stance has probably come as some relief to Kyiv at a time when the war in Europe had been relegated to a secondary role. Although the MAGA influencer's change of tone also comes just as Trump had already shown favorable signs towards Ukraine. influencer MAGA also comes just when Trump had already shown favorable signs towards Ukraine.At the NATO summit in early July, the US leader announced that he would provide US technology so that Ukraine could manufacture Patriot missiles, which are key to intercepting Russian air attacks. Trump, who usually favors winners, seems to have changed his view of Ukraine thanks to the surprising resistance of the Ukrainian army.

However, in another characteristic move of the tycoon, this Friday Trump backtracked on his offer regarding the Patriots. The US president said, during the cabinet meeting, that he had not agreed to give Kyiv permission to manufacture them.

Good military reputation

Outside the White House, military results in recent months have helped regain support among Republican congressmen. On Tuesday, the Senate advanced a sanctions package against Russia, pushed by Senator Lindsey Graham before his sudden death.

During the legislative debate, the Republican senator for Arkansas stated that "what has marked the change of course is the success that [Ukrainians] are having on the battlefield. Republican Senator Mike Rounds, who also met with Zelensky, explained that "the goal of all this is to bring Putin to the negotiating table." The Ukrainian president has stressed that the new US sanctions could help consolidate the advances Ukraine has made on the battlefield and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to resume peace talks.

The bill, however, will not see the light of day until September, as the House of Representatives is in recess for the rest of the summer. Although Ukrainians have celebrated the Senate's approval of the sanctions package as a victory, it is not yet definitive. It seems Trump has changed his mind about the Patriots, and the month-long congressional recess gives plenty of time for perceptions regarding Zelensky to shift again.