US President Donald Trump has changed his attitude toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and is now showing far greater optimism about Kyiv’s ability to stand up to Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
The shift marks a significant change. Last year, Trump called Zelensky a “dictator,” criticized his leadership, clashed with him at the White House, and temporarily suspended US military aid and intelligence cooperation with Ukraine.
“We’ve actually developed a good relationship. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” Trump said during a meeting with Zelensky in Türkiye this summer on the sidelines of a NATO summit.
The more positive tone comes ahead of their meeting in Washington, the first since October. Zelensky is in the US capital to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, and a meeting with Trump at the White House is scheduled for Tuesday.
According to the report, one of the main reasons behind Trump’s change of heart is his growing respect for Ukraine’s drone industry. He was particularly impressed by Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against unmanned aerial threats, including Iranian-made Shahed drones, which are also viewed as a security concern for the United States and its allies.
In recent years, Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading developers and producers of military drones. Production has expanded from just a few thousand units annually to millions of drones. Trump has also floated the possibility of cooperation in drone manufacturing and granting Ukraine a license to produce interceptors for the Patriot air defense system.
However, it remains unclear how long Trump’s renewed support for Kyiv will last. Sources close to the president say he frequently changes positions, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously managed to influence both Trump and some of his advisers.
Trump has told Putin that he wants to end the war, pointing to the heavy losses suffered by both sides. Although he previously believed Russia would quickly defeat Ukraine, he is now said to show less sympathy toward the Kremlin.
One US official told the newspaper that Trump “likes winners,” adding that, in his view, Zelensky increasingly appears to be on the winning side.
