Politico: Zelenskyy convinced Washington that Kyiv can win the war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pulled off a feat Tuesday that seemed impossible a year ago: convincing Washington that Kyiv can win the war, according to Politico.

Zelenskyy 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," says Politico.

"The whole program here is to bring Putin to the negotiating table," Senator Mike Rounds said following a meeting with the Ukrainian president, senators and some House lawmakers.

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.

According to Politico, 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 Senator John Boozman.

"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.