Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both traveled to Washington Tuesday to meet separately with President Donald Trump at the White House, with U.S. policy toward Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war still unsettled, according to ABC News.
The two leaders are also attending the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly earlier this month. Graham had been a strong supporter of Israel, a harsh critic of Iran, and had met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv the day before his death. He had also been working to advance a Senate bill to strengthen sanctions on Russia at the time of his death.
Tuesday marks five months since the United States entered into what became a months-long conflict with Iran. Netanyahu last visited Washington to meet with Trump in February, days before that conflict began. For Tuesday's meeting, Netanyahu wrote on X that he planned to discuss Israel's security with Trump. "Our goal is clear: to safeguard Israel's security, strengthen its power, and expand the circle of peace around us," Netanyahu wrote.
The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has shown strain in recent weeks. Trump has called the Israeli leader "crazy" and declared "Without me, there would be no Israel." Israeli officials confirmed to ABC News that Netanyahu was not consulted on the U.S. memorandum of understanding with Iran that established a 60-day ceasefire and reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli officials have also expressed concern over U.S. plans to sign a nuclear energy deal with Saudi Arabia and a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. "Nobody tells me what we should be selling," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, referring to Netanyahu's concerns.
When asked by reporters why he was meeting Netanyahu and whether they were aligned on Iran, Trump said, "We have a little difference, but pretty close."
Zelenskyy and Trump last met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this month. Tuesday's meeting was expected to continue discussions on a path toward ending the war with Russia. In recent weeks, Zelenskyy has called for diplomatic efforts to ensure Ukraine can secure weapons and missiles from its allies.
