Netanyahu, Zelenskyy scheduled to meet with Trump amid global conflict

Politicians and world leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are gathering in Washington to meet with President Donald Trump while in town to honor the late Sen. Lindsey Graham at his funeral service Tuesday.

At Trump‘s invitation, Netanyahu flew to Washington on Monday for the service, his office announced. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also plans to attend the Washington funeral, MS NOW reported, citing a White House official.

Both leaders are planning to meet with Trump during their respective visits. These meetings could give Netanyahu and Zelenskyy a chance to push their agendas on Trump amid global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Each man has had previous successes securing Trump’s buy in for their positions in previous direct conversations.

For Zelenskyy, the visit comes as U.S. and Ukrainian officials have been discussing new peace proposals to end the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

For Netanyahu, who last came to Washington in February, the meeting is a chance to discuss the Iran war — where fighting is currently at at a halt. Monday marks the third day since any U.S. strikes have been reported in Iran, and the two countries appear to be holding a pause.

The two conflicts overlapped over the weekend when Ukraine killed a sailor after its military struck an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. The vessel was transporting weapons to aid Russia, Kyiv said. Tehran, however, described the incident as a “hostile and criminal act.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an X post Sunday that Israel was the driver in Ukrainian attack.

During the meeting, Netanyahu plans to discuss Israel’s security and strength with Trump, he wrote in an X post on Monday.

“Our goal is clear: to safeguard Israel’s security, strengthen its power, and expand the circle of peace around us,” he said in his post. He also wrote that he will pay his respects to Graham during his visit, who he described as a “true friend.”

Netanyahu said in a separate X post after Graham’s death, that the late senator, who served on the Foreign Relations Committee, “understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable.”

Graham died right after he had returned from a trip to Ukraine where he was meeting with Zelenskyy about U.S. sanctions on Russia. He died of an aortic dissection the evening of July 11, CNBC previously reported.

Zelenskyy was “deeply saddened” to learn of the news, he said in a July 12 post on X. 

“He visited Ukraine ten times during the years of Russia’s full-scale invasion and was here with our people when it was most needed,” Zelenskyy said. “We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations.”

Zelenskyy also praised Graham as an advocate for “bipartisan and bicameral support for Ukraine.”