President Donald Trump is hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House Tuesday, with both conflicts described by Reuters as reaching critical stages and Trump’s relationships with the two leaders now markedly different from one another.
The visits come as both wars sit at pivotal junctures. According to the Irish Times, Trump’s relations with Zelenskiy have warmed as Ukraine has slowed Russian advances, while Netanyahu arrives amid growing White House frustration over the stalled Iran conflict. Trump has said he paused U.S. airstrikes on Iran after a ceasefire collapsed, hoping to give diplomacy another opening.
Netanyahu and Zelenskiy are both in Washington to attend Tuesday’s memorial service for Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died July 11 at age 71. Graham was a close Trump ally who had pushed for deeper U.S. backing of both Ukraine and Israel.
Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu will center on the Iran war, the state of Lebanon negotiations and efforts to broaden the Abraham Accords, a White House official told CNN. Speaking to reporters Monday, Trump said he and Netanyahu remain closely aligned despite some disagreement over Iran.
“We have a little difference, but pretty close,” Trump said.
Tension between the two leaders has surfaced elsewhere. Trump pushed back on Netanyahu’s objections to a potential U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, telling reporters no one dictates American arms sales. Trump also praised Turkey as a strong ally despite its friction with Israel. Israel’s ongoing war against Hezbollah in Lebanon is another likely point of friction, with Trump previously expressing frustration over continued Israeli strikes there.
Trump and Zelenskiy are expected to discuss the peace process between Russia and Ukraine, according to the White House official. A Ukrainian government readout ahead of the visit said Kyiv hopes Washington will maintain its support so the war can end on fair terms.
After the Oval Office meeting, Zelenskiy is expected to travel to the Capitol to meet with all 100 senators. His visit follows a Pentagon letter to Congress disclosing that the Trump administration will not finish spending $400 million in previously authorized Ukraine aid until fiscal year 2029, even as Kyiv faces shortages of weapons needed to counter Russian missile strikes. Democrats and some Republicans have criticized the Pentagon over the delay.
The overnight hours ahead of Zelenskiy’s arrival saw an escalation on the battlefield, with more than 390 Ukrainian drones targeting the Moscow region, according to Russian officials. Russian officials reported damage to residential buildings.
Tuesday’s meetings are Trump’s latest attempt to position himself as a peacemaker in two of the world’s most volatile conflicts, even as he continues to weigh further U.S. military action against Iran if talks fail.
