Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump have met at the White House for the first time since they launched a joint war against Iran, offering a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.
According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the closed-door meeting lasted nearly an hour and a half and was “positive and productive.”
The two leaders are expected to have discussed the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords,
The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war with Iran that has driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.
Israel has lost a significant amount of bipartisan support in the United States, particularly over its conduct in Gaza.
An AP-NORC poll published earlier this month found a dramatic erosion of support among American adults for Israel. In June, US Vice President JD Vance warned Israeli officials that Trump was their only friend among world leaders.
Prior to having a discussion with Netanyahu, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met ahead of Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral, with the two leaders discussing ways for Ukraine to produce its own powerful weapons and “other ideas that could help” in its ongoing war against Russia.
The sit-down in the Oval Office, which was closed to the media, followed a consequential meeting at the NATO summit earlier this month in Ankara, Turkey, where Trump announced that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot defense systems, a long-running request from Kyiv to counter Russian missile attacks.
Zelenskyy Hails Meeting With Trump
In a post on social media after the meeting, Zelenskyy thanked Trump for the “good meeting” and the Republican administration’s efforts to aid Kyiv in the long-running war, which began more than four years ago when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said that he and Trump “discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help.” He also noted that he offered condolences to Trump for the death of Graham, a close ally. “We also spoke about diplomacy – it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated,” he added.
Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader traveled to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.
In an interview, Trump recalled Graham’s hawkishness and said that the Republican South Carolina Senator’s support for Ukraine never wavered. Trump said that Graham had suggested it was time to make a deal with Iran but had no similar suggestion for the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy also warned that Russia has been aiding Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Gulf region that later appear in Iran. Earlier this month, the Ukrainian President also asserted that there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s images and subsequent Iranian strikes.
“The purpose is clear. None of us in the world should turn a blind eye to one very simple fact: Evil always seeks ways to make things worse and spread further.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
However, on Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran. “I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan, adding, “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.” Still, he said that he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy has a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. Besides his White House meeting, Zelenskyy will head to the Capitol to meet with Senators later today after Graham’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral.
Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham’s sanctions legislation this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before lawmakers leave Washington for their August recess.
The bill has dozens of backers from both major political parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.
The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin; senior Russian political and military leaders; and Russian financial institutions and energy projects.
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