Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the United States and is scheduled to meet all 100 members of the U.S. Senate on the evening of July 28, according to multiple sources cited by The Hill.
The meeting at the U.S. Capitol comes as the Senate considers bipartisan legislation that would impose tougher sanctions on Russia and its trading partners in response to Moscow's continued war against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy is in Washington to attend the memorial service for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who co-authored the sanctions bill and was one of the strongest advocates for Ukraine in the U.S. Congress. Graham's final meeting with Zelenskyy took place in Kyiv on July 10.
The proposed sanctions legislation is expected to be a key topic of discussion during the Senate meeting. According to reports, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for the bill and requested that it also include expanded sanctions targeting Iran and Hezbollah.
However, The Telegraph reported that disagreements over the legislation could delay its passage. Democrats have raised concerns that provisions expanding the president's authority over sanctions and tariffs could create a problematic precedent, while Republicans have accused Democrats of weakening support for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has held meetings with groups of U.S. senators on several previous occasions to discuss military assistance for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. A bipartisan group of senators also met with him during the Munich Security Conference in February.
The Ukrainian president is also scheduled to meet with President Trump on July 28 during his visit to Washington.
By Sabina Mammadli
