Washington, United States. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later on Tuesday, as the wars in Iran and Ukraine reach critical stages and his relations with the two leaders differ markedly.
Netanyahu and Zelenskiy are in Washington for a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a hawkish Republican and close Trump ally who frequently urged the president to provide greater support for Ukraine.
Ukraine priorities
Relations between Trump and Zelenskiy have improved as Ukraine has blunted Russian advances. Upon arriving in Washington, Zelenskiy said anti-ballistic defence and strategic cooperation with the United States were the “number-one priority” for his meetings with Trump and his team.
“Peace needs to be brought closer,” Zelenskiy said in a post on X.
Iran conflict
Netanyahu arrives amid growing White House frustration over the lack of progress towards a broader settlement in the Iran conflict. Some Trump supporters have also criticised deeper US involvement in the Middle East.
Following the collapse of a ceasefire in the Iran war, Trump said he had paused US airstrikes to give diplomacy another chance. There is no end in sight for either the Iran or Ukraine conflict.
Strained ties
Netanyahu’s relationship with Trump has fluctuated. Trump has at times had to restrain the Israeli leader from attacking targets in Lebanon in an effort to weaken Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
An acrimonious telephone call in June, during which Trump called Netanyahu “fucking crazy”, exposed strains between the two leaders. The exchange was first leaked to the media and later publicly confirmed by Trump.
