Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Ronen Zvrun | AFP | Getty Images
Politicians and world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are gathering in Washington to meet with President Donald Trump, who is in the city to honor the late Sen. Lindsey Graham at his funeral Tuesday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu flew to Washington on Monday for a mission at the invitation of President Trump, his office announced. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also plans to attend the funeral in Washington, a White House official confirmed.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet with President Trump during their respective visits. These talks could give Netanyahu and Zelensky an opportunity to impose their policies on President Trump amid global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The two men have so far succeeded in gaining support for Trump’s position in direct talks.
Zelenskiy’s visit comes as U.S. and Ukrainian officials are negotiating a new peace plan to end the war in Ukraine that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. White House officials confirmed that President Trump plans to discuss these topics at the meeting.
For Netanyahu, who last visited Washington in February, the meeting is an opportunity to discuss the Iran war, where fighting has now stopped. Monday marks the third day since the U.S. attack on Iran was reported, but both countries appear to have paused.
Two conflicts coincided over the weekend when Ukrainian forces attacked an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea, killing one sailor. Kiev said the ship was transporting weapons to support Russia. However, the Iranian government described the incident as a “hostile and criminal act.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told X-Post on Sunday that Israel was the leader of the attack on Ukraine.
On Monday, President Trump was asked by reporters why he was meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and whether they were on the same page regarding the Iran war, and he said, “There are some differences, but we’re pretty close.”
Trump is expected to talk with Netanyahu about the Iran conflict, as well as expanding the trilateral framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon and the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans for the meeting.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss Israel’s security and strength with President Trump, he wrote on the X-Post on Monday.
“Our goal is clear: to protect Israel’s security, strengthen its power, and expand a circle of peace around us,” he said in a post. He also described Graham as a “true friend” and wrote that he would respect him during his visit.
In another X post after Graham’s death, Netanyahu said the late senator, who served on the Foreign Relations Committee, “understands that the security of Israel and the United States are inseparable.”
Mr. Graham died shortly after returning from a trip to Ukraine where he met with Mr. Zelensky about U.S. sanctions against Russia. He died of an aortic dissection on the night of July 11, CNBC previously reported.
Zelenskiy was “deeply saddened” to learn the news, he said in a July 12 post on the X show.
“During the years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he visited Ukraine 10 times and was here with the people when they needed it most,” Zelensky said. “We had a constant dialogue and I will miss the conversation.”
President Zelensky also praised Graham as an advocate of “bipartisan and bicameral support for Ukraine.”
Graham’s second funeral
Mr. Graham’s funeral in Washington will be held Tuesday at the Washington National Cathedral. His remains will then be transported to his home state of South Carolina for a second service on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Air Force service members will carry Graham’s remains to the Capitol to be recognized for his years of public service, his office announced. Graham’s remains will then be taken to a cathedral for a funeral service that will include a speech from President Trump.
Graham’s office said the public will be able to watch both ceremonies via livestream.
The public is invited to pay their respects at a funeral procession in front of the South Carolina state capitol in Columbia on Wednesday. The event will include an F-16 overflight from the 169th Fighter Wing at McIntire Joint National Guard Base and law enforcement presentations, Graham’s office said. The late senator was an Air Force veteran.
The procession will be followed by a funeral service at Columbia First Baptist Church. Finally, the family will be buried privately in Pickens County, South Carolina.
“We are grateful to all who came together to honor and remember Lindsay,” Sen. Darling Graham (RS.C.) said in a July 15 statement. The late senator’s sister was appointed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to replace him in the Senate on July 14. She is currently running for a full six-year term with the support of President Trump.
Darin Graham thanked the Senate leadership, Trump, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and the venues hosting the services for “going above and beyond to ensure these are honorable memorials to Lindsey.”
