Trump to host Netanyahu, Zelenskiy as Ukraine, Iran wars reach critical stages

US president Donald Trump hosts Israel’s Binyamin Netanyahu and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday, with wars in their countries at critical stages and his ties with both leaders markedly different.Relations with Zelenskiy have ‌warmed as Ukraine has blunted Russian advances, while Netanyahu arrives amid growing White House frustration over the lack of progress toward a broader settlement in the Iran conflict and criticism from some of Trump’s supporters who oppose deeper US involvement in the Middle East.The two ​men are in Washington to attend a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a hawkish republican who was one of Trump’s closest allies and who frequently tried to coax him into providing more support for Ukraine’s war.Both Ukraine war and widening Middle East conflict are at critical junctures. After the collapse of a ceasefire in the Iran war, Trump says he has paused US air strikes to give diplomacy another chance. Zelenskiy, meanwhile, has been buoyed by Ukraine’s recent successes.READ MOREStill, there is no end in sight ​for either conflict.Netanyahu has run hot and cold with Trump, who at times has had to rein in the Israeli leader from attacking targets in Lebanon to try to weaken Iran-backed Hizbullah militants.An acrimonious phone call in June ⁠in which the president called the prime minister “f**king crazy”, first leaked to the media and later publicly confirmed by Trump himself, laid bare the strains between the two leaders.Sources familiar with the ‌matter ‌said ​Netanyahu aims to get Trump’s support for his re-election campaign in advance of an October 27th vote.A meeting Trump that showcases what has traditionally been a close relationship between the two leaders could help Netanyahu at home where he is struggling in the opinion polls.“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,” Netanyahu said in a video statement as he departed for Washington.“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 would discuss the conflict in Iran, as well as tensions between Israel and Lebanon, whose president Trump hosted ‌last week.The official said they will also discuss the Abraham Accords, the series ​of agreements Trump brokered to normalise diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.Trump wants to add Saudi Arabia to the accords and conditioned a ⁠civilian nuclear co-operation deal with the kingdom last week on Riyadh signing up. Riyadh ⁠has so far rejected joining the accords without a ​path toward Palestinian statehood.“Bibi’s been great,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Michigan on Monday, using the Israeli leader’s nickname. “He was a wartime prime minister. We did very well together.”Zelenskiy and Trump clashed repeatedly in the early months of Trump’s second term, but relations between the two have improved in recent months as Ukraine has had greater success in the war, including with increased attacks on Russia’s oil industry.US president Donald Trump greets Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy, outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington last August. Photograph: Ting Shen/Bloomberg Zelenskiy is expected to have a short private meeting Trump at the White House, likely in the absence of reporters, said a source familiar with the plans.A Ukrainian source said Patriot missile interceptors are top priority. “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.Zelenskiy is expected to press Trump for urgently needed air defence capabilities and completing a drone deal with the United States. The two leaders will ‌also likely discuss Trump’s promise at the Nato summit ⁠to grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot interceptors.After the White House meeting, Zelenskiy is expected to go to the US Capitol for a meeting all 100 senators. – Reuters(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026