Benjamin Netanyahu and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will arrive in Washington this week for the funeral of former Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, creating a rare opportunity for both leaders to meet with Donald Trump as U.S. foreign policy toward Iran and Ukraine undergoes significant shifts.
Graham, a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina and vocal ally to both men, died on July 11. His funeral service takes place Tuesday. The simultaneous presence of Netanyahu and Zelenskyy in the capital signals an attempt by each leader to influence Trump's approach to their respective conflicts at a moment when administration policy appears in transition.
Netanyahu's meeting with Trump will mark their first since February, when the two were aligned in preparing for strikes against Iran that commenced later that month. The relationship has soured considerably since. Trump has publicly called Netanyahu "crazy" and boasted that "without me, there would be no Israel," remarks that reflect deeper friction over how the conflict has evolved without clear resolution.
Central to Netanyahu's concerns is Trump's unpredictable stance toward Iran. The president previously supported regime change, a position Netanyahu has long championed. Yet last month, Trump signed a memorandum of understanding designed to establish a 60-day ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and launch nuclear negotiations. Netanyahu was reportedly not consulted on the deal, with analysts suggesting it did not adequately account for Israeli interests.
Trump subsequently repudiated the agreement this month as Iran continued attacking commercial vessels. U.S. forces then launched 13 consecutive nights of strikes against Iranian targets, with Trump threatening civilian infrastructure attacks. The campaign has since paused as reports indicate negotiations may be resuming and Pentagon officials warn that American missile stockpiles are depleting. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, reportedly recommended halting bombing operations due to diminishing effectiveness.
An additional irritant for Netanyahu: a newly announced civil nuclear program agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, struck without apparent Israeli input.
Zelenskyy's presence carries equally significant weight, coinciding with apparent signals of a dramatic recalibration in Trump's Ukraine policy. The White House appears more supportive of Kyiv than at any point since Trump's return to office.
The clearest signal came when right-wing influencer Laura Loomer visited Zelenskyy in Kyiv last week and subsequently renounced her prior support for Russia. Trump and Zelenskyy held a cordial meeting at this month's NATO summit in Ankara, a stark reversal from last year's contentious White House encounter, when Trump berated Zelenskyy and declared, "You don't have the cards."
Trump has consistently expressed preference for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yet last weekend, Zelenskyy announced on social media that Ukraine's intelligence services would share information with the U.S. regarding Russian support for Iran. He disclosed that Ukraine had documented Russian satellite surveillance of American military facilities in the Gulf region and those of U.S.-aligned partners.
Graham had visited Kyiv just before his death and was advancing a Senate bill to tighten sanctions on Russia. His death removes a powerful hawkish voice in Congress that supported both Israel and Ukraine's positions.
Author James Rodriguez: "Two leaders with everything to lose are betting a funeral service gives them the opening to reshape Trump's calculus on wars that define their survival."
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