President Donald Trump met separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday. These meetings took place as the U.S. and Israel are engaged in a war with Iran, and Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
Neither of the discussions was open to the press. Both President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Netanyahu were in Washington D.C. to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent supporter of both Ukraine and Israel. Senator Graham had recently returned from a trip to Ukraine before his unexpected death at the age of 71, with his final public remarks made in Kyiv.
Following his meeting with President Trump, Zelenskyy described the discussion as "good." He stated that they discussed the granting of licenses for the production of Patriot missile interceptors, which are crucial for Ukraine's defense against Russian forces. Zelenskyy shared on X, "A good meeting with President Trump at the Oval Office. Thank you for everything we do together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and advance peace. First and foremost, I offered President Trump our condolences on the passing of Lindsey Graham. He was a true friend of Ukraine."
Zelenskyy further elaborated, "The president and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help. We also spoke about diplomacy – it's important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication. I am grateful to the United States for its firm support." Zelenskyy and Mr. Trump had last met earlier in July on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Turkey, where the U.S. announced it would permit Ukraine to manufacture its own Patriot missiles.
Immediately after his meeting with the Ukrainian president, Mr. Trump convened with Prime Minister Netanyahu in a closed-door session. No official statement or readout has been released by either the White House or the Israeli government regarding this encounter. This marked their first known in-person meeting since the U.S. and Israel initiated hostilities with Iran.
Mr. Trump, historically a strong supporter of Prime Minister Netanyahu, has recently adopted a more distanced stance. While he has referred to Netanyahu as a capable wartime leader, Mr. Trump has not commented on whether Netanyahu should remain prime minister in the future. Mr. Trump has previously advised Netanyahu to adopt a "softer touch" and "be more responsible with respect to Lebanon." Responding to suggestions about his involvement, Mr. Trump stated, "I don't need Bibi to tell me that," adding that Netanyahu's remarks were an attempt to ensure his continued engagement.
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
