Trump to hold separate White House meetings with Zelensky and Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump is due to hold separate meetings at the White House on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The talks come as Washington is engaged in negotiations over the war in Ukraine and as tensions continue with Israel over the direction of the conflicts in the Middle East. According to the White House, Trump will discuss new proposals for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia with Zelensky.

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With Netanyahu, the agenda is expected to include the war in Gaza, the regional situation after the conflict with Iran, and Israel's military presence in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. The meetings are taking place against a backdrop of growing differences between Washington and the Israeli government over how to reduce regional tensions. Netanyahu has said he does not intend to withdraw troops while Hamas remains fully disarmed, while the US has been pressing Israel to reduce its military footprint in conflict zones.

The White House meetings also underline how closely linked the Ukraine and Middle East files have become in US foreign policy. Trump has already met Netanyahu six times since returning to the White House, reflecting a relationship that has remained close even as disagreements have emerged. The latest talks are likely to test whether the two sides can narrow those differences on Gaza and the wider regional posture, including the role of any international stabilisation force.

On Gaza, the Israeli government has approved the creation of an international stabilisation force, with an initial deployment of about 200 military personnel from partner countries to protect a humanitarian zone in Rafah, in the south of the Palestinian territory. Israel has said it will continue to keep troops in the area. The war in Gaza has continued since October 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, and ceasefire negotiations have so far not produced a final agreement.

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The conflict has also fed wider regional tensions involving Lebanon and Syria. The Ukraine meeting comes as efforts continue to shape a ceasefire proposal between Kyiv and Moscow. The White House has not publicly detailed the full content of the new ideas under discussion, but the fact that Zelensky is being received separately suggests the administration is treating the issue as a distinct diplomatic track.

For Ukraine, any movement on ceasefire terms would be significant because the war remains active and negotiations have not yet delivered a settlement. What remains unclear is whether either meeting will produce immediate announcements or only further consultations. It is also not yet clear how far Washington and Jerusalem remain apart on Gaza, Iran and troop deployments in the region.

The outcome of the talks will be watched for signs of progress on ceasefire diplomacy, as well as for any indication of shifts in US pressure on Israel and in the broader approach to the war in Ukraine.

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