Laura Loomer meets Zelensky after renouncing Russia stance

In a striking political reversal, prominent conservative commentator and staunch Donald Trump ally Laura Loomer met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday, July 23, 2026, after publicly renouncing her years of pro-Russian stance on the war. Loomer, who commands a large online following, admitted she had been "bamboozled by Russian propaganda" and expressed regret for spreading falsehoods about Ukraine.

The meeting, confirmed by a Ukrainian presidential spokesperson, followed Loomer's visit to the war-torn country, where she said witnessing the conflict firsthand changed her perspective. Just days before the meeting, she posted on social media about experiencing an air raid, stating it made her realize she had been "an asshole for minimizing the struggle of Ukrainians." She specifically disavowed past claims that Ukraine was dominated by Nazi sympathizers, a key Russian justification for its invasion.

During a 45-minute interview released on Friday, July 24, Loomer praised Ukraine's drone tactics and its law criminalizing antisemitism. She also visited the historic Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a major Christian site damaged in a Russian...