Zelensky and Netanyahu seek Trump backing in separate White House meetings

Washington, D.C.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Donald Trump separately at the White House on the day Washington paid respects to Senator Lindsey Graham.

Graham's casket was carried into Congress by the US military. His career began in the US Air Force, and the military shaped his time in Congress. He was a foreign policy hawk who pushed for US intervention overseas. Trump spoke about Graham's love of conflict, saying Graham liked war and joking that he had never seen a war he did not like.

The late senator's foreign policy record brought the two leaders to Washington. Both are fighting wars. Both met Trump separately. Both have very different relationships with the White House now.

For Zelensky and Ukraine, the visit came as they feel they are turning a page. Overnight, nearly 400 drones targeted the Moscow region, with one hitting a warehouse south of the capital. Zelensky said he had a good meeting with Trump and that they discussed Patriot air defences. The Ukrainian leader also has an interest in linking his war with Russia to Trump's Middle East concerns. Ukraine recently attacked an Iranian cargo ship, saying it was carrying military equipment between Iran and Russia. An analyst said Zelensky should keep stressing that Iran and Russia are two sides of the same coin. The analyst called them dictators, aggressors and ideologues who threaten free people. The analyst added that Zelensky would not tell Trump that the US needs Ukraine's help because Trump would not like that.

For Netanyahu, the meeting was his eighth with Trump since Trump returned to the White House. Despite the smiles, relations are strained. Israel was never happy with the US ceasefire deal with Iran, and Trump reportedly called Netanyahu crazy in a June phone call. Israel will not be content with the current status quo, with Iran feeling emboldened as it controls the Strait of Hormuz. There are also reports that the Trump administration may consider more sanctions on Iran rather than an escalation of strikes. It does not want a ground war, regime change or responsibility for Iran's future. But that is what Netanyahu wants. An analyst said that would be a good outcome from Israel's point of view, but there may be other ways to weaken Iran that Israel could live with. The nuclear programme is top of the list, because Israel does not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

As politicians from all sides paid their respects to Graham, his legacy was clear. He would have wanted his bill on Russian sanctions to pass, Moscow to end the war, and Trump to resume conflict with Iran and force regime change. Neither outcome is easy or likely. His death brought the two conflicts into focus. The result may depend on which leader was more persuasive in private meetings with a transactional president.