US President Donald Trump To Meet Netanyahu, Zelenskiy As Iran & Ukraine Conflicts Reach Crucial Stage

US President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Washington on Tuesday as the wars involving Iran and Ukraine enter critical phases.

The two leaders are in the US capital to attend a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican and close Trump ally who strongly supported increased US backing for Ukraine.

While Trump's ties with Zelenskiy have improved as Ukraine has slowed Russian advances, his relationship with Netanyahu has become more strained amid differences over the Iran conflict and criticism from some of Trump's supporters over deeper US involvement in the Middle East.

Ahead of his meetings, Zelenskiy said anti-ballistic defence and strategic cooperation with the US were the "number-one priority" in talks with Trump and his team. "Peace needs to be brought closer," he said in a post on X.

Netanyahu seeks political backing, Iran tops agenda

Both the Ukraine war and the widening conflict involving Iran remain at a crucial stage. Trump has said he paused US airstrikes after the collapse of a ceasefire in the Iran conflict to allow diplomacy another opportunity, while Ukraine has recently gained ground against Russian forces.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Netanyahu hopes to secure Trump's support ahead of Israel's Oct 27 election. A public display of close ties with the US president could strengthen his domestic standing as he faces weak opinion poll ratings.

Before leaving for Washington, Netanyahu said, "In these complex times, you need to act with both great determination and great wisdom. We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, primarily Iran."

"Of course, our goal is to protect our security and also to expand the circle of peace around us."

A White House official said Trump and Netanyahu would discuss the conflict involving Iran, tensions between Israel and Lebanon, and the Abraham Accords, the agreements brokered during Trump's first term to normalise diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

Trump has also been seeking to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords, although Riyadh has maintained it will not join without progress towards Palestinian statehood.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump praised the Israeli leader, saying, "Bibi's been great."

"He was a wartime prime minister. We did very well together."

Ukraine to seek missile support and air defence cooperation

Relations between Trump and Zelenskiy, which were tense during the early months of Trump's second term, have improved as Ukraine intensified attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure and slowed Russian advances.

Zelenskiy is expected to hold a private meeting with Trump at the White House, where Ukraine's air defence needs are likely to dominate discussions. A Ukrainian source said Patriot missile interceptors remain Kyiv's top priority.

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"We're experiencing strikes every day, so we need Trump's and his team’s ‘okay' to let us buy missiles for Patriots. It’s a top priority to save lives," the source said.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss a proposed drone agreement and Trump's commitment at the NATO summit to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors under licence.

According to the White House, "With President Zelenskiy, President Trump will discuss the ongoing peace process between Russia and Ukraine. Now is the time to end the war."

After meeting Trump, Zelenskiy is expected to visit the US Capitol for talks with all 100 senators.

His visit comes as a Pentagon letter to Congress showed the Trump administration does not expect to spend the remaining $400 million approved for Ukraine aid until fiscal year 2029, despite concerns over Kyiv's dwindling weapons supplies. The delay has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republican lawmakers who support continued military assistance to Ukraine.