President Trump conducted separate, closed-door meetings at the White House on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both foreign leaders were in Washington to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of both Ukraine and Israel who died suddenly at age 71. Graham had recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he delivered his final public words in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy characterized his meeting with Mr. Trump as a good discussion, noting that they focused on licenses for the production of Patriot missile interceptors, which are critical for Ukraine's defense against Moscow. The two leaders had recently met on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Turkey, where Mr. Trump announced that the U.S. would permit Ukraine to build its own Patriot missiles. Writing on X, Zelenskyy thanked the president for their joint efforts to protect Ukrainian lives and advance peace, while also offering condolences for the passing of Senator Graham, whom he described as a true friend of Ukraine. The Ukrainian president added that they discussed the need to reinvigorate the diplomatic process and that their teams would arrange the details for further communication.
Immediately following the meeting with Zelenskyy, Mr. Trump held a private session with Netanyahu. Neither the White House nor the Israeli government has released a readout of the meeting, which was their first known face-to-face encounter since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with Iran. Although Mr. Trump has historically been one of Netanyahu's strongest supporters, he has recently placed some distance between himself and the Israeli prime minister. While acknowledging Netanyahu as a good wartime president, Mr. Trump has not stated whether he believes Netanyahu should continue in his role in the future. Mr. Trump has suggested that Netanyahu needs to apply a softer touch and be more responsible regarding Lebanon. Addressing these comments, Mr. Trump remarked, "I don't need Bibi to tell me that," adding that Netanyahu is likely making such points because he wants the United States to remain involved.
ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו נפגש כעת עם נשיא ארה״ב דונלד טראמפ בבית הלבן. pic.twitter.com/9UWM8rsn97
ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו נפגש כעת עם נשיא ארה״ב דונלד טראמפ בבית הלבן. pic.twitter.com/9UWM8rsn97— ראש ממשלת ישראל (@IsraeliPM_heb) July 28, 2026
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