Laura Loomer meets with Zelenskyy in Ukraine after major reversal on the war

KYIV (AP) — Laura Loomer, an ardent ally of President Donald Trump with a reputation for incendiary social media commentary, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday after a dramatic turnaround on the war that could have political reverberations back in Washington.

Loomer had spent years minimizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine and amplifying Russian propaganda to her nearly two million followers. This week she had a change of heart.

"Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian," Loomer wrote on X. "I often said I don't care. Looking back, that wasn't very nice of me to say."

It was a stunning reversal for a woman who had spent years criticizing U.S. support for Ukraine's defense, declaring it "a country full of Nazi apologists" — a claim used by Russia to justify its yearslong invasion — and "led by a Jihadi apologist."

The skepticism of Ukraine has been shared by other high profile conservative influencers, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

The meeting with Zelenskyy was confirmed by Dmytro Lytvyn, a spokesperson for the president, who said that no Ukrainian government institution had organized the visit. He added that Zelenskyy's office first learned that Loomer was in Ukraine through social media.

"It is really important that @LauraLoomer is in Ukraine and sees things with her own eyes as they are," Zelenskyy's office had written Tuesday.

"It takes courage to come to Ukraine and not be deterred by Russian propaganda or air raid sirens. Thank you, Laura," they added Thursday.

Loomer did not respond to a request for comment.

In addition to the meeting with Zelenskyy, Loomer also visited the Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the country's most significant religious landmarks, which came under Russian attack last month.

The attack on the monastic complex of golden domes in the heart of Kyiv, which is also known as the Monastery of the Caves, sparked a fire that caused significant interior and exterior damage, according to UNESCO. Zelenskyy had called it Moscow's "biggest crime yet against Christian culture."

Russia denied responsibility for the attack, claiming, without offering evidence, that the complex was hit by one of Ukraine's U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles — saying that it might have veered off course due to its age.

In a video recorded from inside the church, Loomer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of hypocrisy by portraying Russia as pro-Christian.

"I just don't think that you should be allowed to say that you're protecting Christianity if you're trying to drone strike Jesus Christ," she said.

Sergiy Kyslytsya and Tetyana Berezhna, two top Ukrainian officials, were among those who met with Loomer and joined her for the visit.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the trip.

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Colvin reported from New York.