President Donald Trump on Tuesday welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington as the wars involving Ukraine and Iran entered critical phases.
The two leaders travelled to the US capital to attend a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican and close Trump ally who consistently advocated stronger American support for Ukraine.
While Zelensky’s visit comes amid renewed momentum for Ukraine’s military campaign against Russia, Netanyahu’s discussions with Trump are expected to focus on the lack of progress towards a broader diplomatic resolution to the conflict involving Iran.
Speaking on arrival, Zelensky said strengthening anti-ballistic defence systems and enhancing strategic cooperation with the United States topped the agenda for his meetings with Trump and senior US officials.
“Anti-ballistic defence and strategic cooperation with the U.S. were the number-one priority for meetings with Trump and his team,” Zelensky said.
He added in a post on X: “Peace needs to be brought closer.”
The Ukraine war and the expanding Middle East conflict remain at decisive moments. Following the collapse of a ceasefire linked to the Iran conflict, Trump said he had paused US airstrikes to allow diplomacy another opportunity.
Despite Ukraine’s recent battlefield gains, there is still no clear path to ending either conflict.
