- President Trump met Israeli, Ukrainian leaders amid global tensions.
- Netanyahu pressed security agenda; Trump acknowledged policy differences.
- Zelenskyy sought aid; Ukraine attacked Caspian, accusing Russia.
US President Donald Trump held separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Tuesday, as conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continued to dominate global attention.
Netanyahu and Zelenskyy were also expected to attend the funeral of late Senator Lindsey Graham, a vocal supporter of Israel and Ukraine who died earlier this month.
The high-level meetings gave both leaders an opportunity to press their priorities with Trump as US policy on Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war remains in flux.
In a post on X, Assistant to the President and the 36th White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tweets, “President Trump has concluded his meetings in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Both meetings were positive and productive!”
President Trump has concluded his meetings in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Both meetings were positive and productive!
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 28, 2026
Netanyahu Pushes Israel’s Security Agenda
Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu said his discussions with Trump would focus on Israel’s security and efforts to expand regional peace.
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“Our goal is clear: to safeguard Israel’s security, strengthen its power, and expand the circle of peace around us,” Netanyahu wrote on X, adding that he would also pay tribute to Graham, whom he described as a “true friend.”
Tuesday also marked five months since the latest conflict involving Iran began.
Although Trump and Netanyahu have largely aligned since Trump returned to office, recent weeks have seen visible differences. Trump recently described the Israeli leader as “crazy” and claimed, “Without me, there would be no Israel.”
The two leaders are also understood to have disagreed over Washington’s recent memorandum of understanding with Iran, which established a 60-day ceasefire and envisages the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli officials have additionally expressed concerns over the Trump administration’s proposed nuclear energy deal with Saudi Arabia and a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
Asked whether he and Netanyahu remained aligned on Iran, Trump told reporters, “We have a little difference, but pretty close.”
Zelenskyy Seeks Continued US Support
Trump also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the ongoing war with Russia and Kyiv’s defence requirements.
The two leaders last met during the NATO summit in Ankara earlier this month, where Trump announced that the US would license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors.
Zelenskyy has continued to press Washington for faster delivery of weapons and air defence systems as Ukraine faces sustained Russian attacks.
Questions over US military stockpiles have also emerged following recent tensions with Iran. However, Trump dismissed reports of ammunition shortages, saying the US possesses “a lot of ammunition” while accusing the previous Biden administration of sending excessive military aid to Ukraine.
“I’d like to have more, to be honest. But so much was given to Ukraine by Biden,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Monday.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict Escalates
The Russia-Ukraine war entered a new phase over the weekend after Zelenskyy announced Ukrainian strikes on targets in the Caspian Sea, including vessels allegedly transporting military cargo linked to Iran and a Russian warship.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, calling it a violation of the United Nations Charter and warning that it “cannot go unanswered.”
Zelenskyy also accused Russia of helping Iran target US military bases in the Middle East through satellite surveillance, alleging Moscow supplied imagery of US and Gulf facilities before and after Iranian strikes.
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Trump said he would raise the allegations directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’ll ask Putin about it. We’ll find out,” Trump told reporters, while maintaining that any such assistance “hasn’t had much impact because we’ve knocked the hell out of” Iran.
The White House has not commented on Ukraine’s intelligence claims.
