With Iran and Ukraine high on agenda, Trump to welcome Zelensky and Netanyahu to White House
Washington DC, July 28
US President Donald Trump is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday for separate meetings expected to focus on the wars in Ukraine and West Asia, CNN reported, citing a White House official.
Trump's meeting with Netanyahu will centre on the war involving Iran, progress in negotiations with Lebanon and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.
Speaking to reporters on Monday (local time), Trump acknowledged that he and Netanyahu were not in complete agreement on Iran but stressed that they remained closely aligned.
"We have a little difference, but pretty close," Trump said.
Trump's meeting with Zelensky is expected to focus on the ongoing peace process between Russia and Ukraine. A White House official told CNN that "now is the time to end the war."
Earlier on Monday (local time), Trump dismissed Zelensky's allegation that Russia was providing Iran with intelligence on US military bases, saying, "I don't think they've been doing it, certainly not at a high level."
CNN also reported that both Netanyahu and Zelensky are expected to attend the funeral of late Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington on Tuesday (local time) following their White House meetings.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington on Monday (local time) for high-level talks with US President Donald Trump, placing regional security and the confrontation with Iran at the top of the bilateral agenda.
Before taking off, Netanyahu emphasised that addressing threats from Tehran would be his primary objective during his discussions with the American president.
"We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost, Iran," Netanyahu said in remarks shared on X. "Naturally, our goal is to safeguard our security and also to expand the circle of peace around us. I am embarking on this mission with one clear goal - to ensure the security, strength, and future of our dear State of Israel."
The trip marks the eighth face-to-face bilateral meeting between the two leaders since Trump took office for his second term, underscoring the close coordination between Washington and Jerusalem.
Separately, before his meeting with Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump said that Russia's support to Iran, if any, in the ongoing war against Washington has been "very unimpactful," adding that he will ask his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent allegations.
Zelenskyy on Saturday accused Moscow of providing satellite intelligence to Iran to facilitate strikes on US military outposts and Gulf state facilities, while also revealing that Moscow is preparing to receive 30,000 North Korean troops to bolster its forces.
Speaking with the reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump reiterated that the US has "knocked the hell out of Iran" to assert Washington's dominance in the conflict, and claimed that the Islamic Republic is losing despite Russia's aid, if any.
"We'll find out if that's true. I'll ask Putin about it. We'll find out," Trump said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting how Trump dismisses Zelensky's claims about Russian-Iranian intel sharing. Typical "I'll ask Putin" approach - as if the Russian president will admit anything! 😏 India needs to be cautious - if Iran gets more isolated, our Chabahar port and energy ties could suffer.
"Knocked the hell out of Iran" - Trump's language is, as always, very... direct. But the reality is, Iran is still a major regional player. For India, this whole situation is delicate - we have close ties with both Israel and Iran. Watching from the sidelines with popcorn. 🍿
I think India should take a page from this and strengthen our own diplomatic outreach. If US can host both Zelensky and Netanyahu on same day, why can't we balance our relationships better? We import oil from Iraq, sell arms to Israel, and have strategic deals with UAE. Multilateralism is the way forward, na?
The Abraham Accords expansion could be good for India too - more stability in Middle East means better oil prices and more trade routes. But I'm sceptical. Peace deals without addressing Palestinian rights are like building a house without foundation. Trump's "difference" with Netanyahu on Iran is interesting - let's see if it means anything real.
Honestly, both these wars are affecting India's energy security and diaspora workers. Ukraine war pushed up fertiliser prices and hit our farmers. West Asia instability affects our 9 million NRIs. Instead of grand statements, I wish world leaders would focus on practical peace. Trump's "now is the time to end the war"
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.