Netanyahu and Zelenskyy converge on Washington seeking Trump's backing

Published Jul 28, 02:01 PM UTC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will both attend the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington, a key ally who lobbied for support for both countries. The leaders are scheduled to meet separately with President Donald Trump as US policy toward the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East undergoes significant shifts. Zelenskyy seeks to shore up American support after losing a staunch backer in Graham, while Netanyahu aims to pressure Trump to escalate the war in Iran. The two conflicts have converged recently, with Ukraine attacking an Iranian tanker carrying military technology to Russia. Trump's relationship with Zelenskyy has improved markedly since their bitter White House confrontation, while ties with Netanyahu have grown strained over Israel's continued bombardment of Hezbollah in Lebanon. A Senate vote on a bipartisan sanctions package against both countries is also expected.