Trump hosts back-to-back meetings with Zelenskyy and Netanyahu

Trump meets Zelenskyy and Netanyahu in back-to-back White House talks

US President Donald Trump hosted separate White House meetings on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as both leaders sought to secure American support at pivotal moments in conflicts affecting their countries, The Guardian reported.

Zelenskyy's meeting was described by both sides as positive, according to the same report. During the talks, Zelenskyy discussed licensing arrangements that would allow Ukraine to manufacture its own interceptors for Patriot missile systems, The Guardian noted.

Netanyahu's visit to the Oval Office was his first since he and Trump launched a joint military campaign against Iran on 28 February, The Guardian reported. The meeting was expected to cover Iran, a framework deal the US and Israel signed with Lebanon, and a possible expansion of the Abraham accords, according to a White House official cited by The Guardian.

Coverage comparison

The Guardian reported that tensions between Trump and Netanyahu have risen as the war has drifted inconclusively, with Trump calling the Israeli premier "crazy" and declaring: "Without me, there would be no Israel." The Jerusalem Post, while noting the same strained dynamic, reported that Trump has been perceived as Netanyahu's 'puppet' after the war started immediately following their February meeting, and that Netanyahu needs to clarify what Trump's endgame is and how much war he is willing to undertake to achieve it.

Both outlets noted the uncertainty surrounding Trump's approach to Iran. The Guardian reported that the US signed a memorandum of understanding last month meant to institute a 60-day ceasefire, during which Iran would reopen the strait of Hormuz and negotiations over its nuclear program would begin. Netanyahu is not believed to have been consulted on the deal, according to the report. Trump publicly repudiated the agreement as Iran continued to attack commercial ships, The Guardian added. The conflict has been paused amid reports that negotiations have resumed and Pentagon concerns that US missile stocks are running low, the outlet said.

Key claims

• Donald Trump hosted back-to-back White House meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Benjamin Netanyahu, The Guardian reported.
• Netanyahu met Trump no less than six times in the US in the first 13 months of Trump's second term, according to the Jerusalem Post.
• The US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on 28 February, igniting a war that has continued ever since, both The Guardian and the Jerusalem Post reported.
• Tensions between Trump and Netanyahu have risen as the war has drifted inconclusively, The Guardian reported.
• Trump called Netanyahu "crazy" and declared: "Without me, there would be no Israel," according to The Guardian.
• Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump was described by both sides as positive, The Guardian reported.
• Zelenskyy discussed licensing arrangements to let Ukraine manufacture its own interceptors for Patriot missile systems, according to The Guardian.
• The US signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran that was meant to institute a 60-day ceasefire, The Guardian reported.
• Trump publicly repudiated the agreement as Iran continued to attack commercial ships, The Guardian reported.
• The conflict has been paused amid reports that negotiations have resumed and Pentagon concerns that US missile stocks are running low, according to The Guardian.