Overview
- Ukrainian presidential spokesperson Dmytro Lytvyn confirmed that Laura Loomer met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday and that the visit was not organized by a government institution.
- Loomer said she experienced her first air raid in Ukraine and posted a public apology for previously minimizing Russia’s invasion to her followers.
- She toured the Kyiv‑Pechersk Lavra, viewed the damaged Assumption (Dormition) Cathedral and Kushnyk Tower, and saw exhibits and restoration work after a June 15 attack that the Lavra reserve says damaged 19 cultural heritage sites.
- Ukrainian officials welcomed the visit as a way to show the reality of damage and to rebut Russian information operations, while Russia has denied responsibility and suggested without evidence that a U.S. Patriot missile may have been involved.
- Because Loomer is a high‑profile ally of President Donald Trump who has long amplified pro‑Kremlin views, her reversal and public meeting with Zelenskyy could influence opinions among conservative U.S. audiences and shape political messaging about the war.