The leaders of Ukraine and Israel sought to curry US President Donald Trump’s favor during their visits to the White House on Tuesday.
The separate, closed-door meetings come at a critical time for Volodymyr Zelenskyy — whose stock with Trump is rising — and Benjamin Netanyahu, whose influence is waning.
Trump has praised Ukraine’s battlefield progress and promised Kyiv military assistance, while voicing impatience with Netanyahu over their diverging interests in the Iran conflict. Zelenskyy needs more US weapons, and Netanyahu wants Trump’s endorsement in a critical election.
The White House described both meetings as “positive and productive,” but Zelenskyy can claim measurable progress: Trump’s top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner agreed to visit Ukraine for the first time.