Image source, Zelensky/Telegram

The first lines from Zelensky's closed-door meeting with Trump are beginning to emerge, coming from a Telegram post by the Ukranian leader.

He said he had a good meeting with Trump and that the two discussed the importance of protecting Ukrainians and how the US can help the Ukraine with missile-defence systems.

"The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help," he said.

Zelensky said there would be further communication and expressed his gratitude for "firm support" from the US.

Image source, Zelensky/Telegram

During the same call with Fox News this morning, Trump hailed the late Senator Lindsey Graham, one of his staunchest allies and defenders.

He says the two "started a little bit rough" but then became closer over time. Graham was critical of Trump before his first term in 2016 - when Graham also ran for president - and after the 6 January riots, but was very supportive of Trump in recent years.

"He was a great politician and a great gentleman," Trump told Fox. “It really ended up being a great friendship. And it's it's very hard. He's like, he really became like a member of the family in a sense."

He will be speaking at the funeral later today.

Earlier this morning, President Trump told Fox News that the US and Iran had had "very good" discussions.

But he also said the US would destroy Iranian bridges and power plants if the country did not reach an agreement with the US.

“If they don’t make a deal, then I go back and I finish the job," he told Fox. "But that’s going to take them forever to rebuild. Already, it’ll take them many years to ever to rebuild."

Trump also insisted that the US has control over the Strait of Hormuz, which has mostly been blocked by Iran since the start of the war.

"Only ships that we want to get through get through," Trump said.

The standoff will no doubt come up during discussions Trump is having now with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Gidi Kleiman
Reporting from Jerusalem

Before his arrival at the White House, as he prepared to leave Israel on Monday aboard the official Wings of Zion plane, Netanyahu said in a video statement in Hebrew that he “will discuss all current issues with President Trump, foremost among them being Iran”.

Their last meeting was in February before Israel and the US launched an unprecedented joint attack on Iran. Netanyahu has been campaigning for decades against Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he repeatedly said would pose an existential threat to Israel. But the war has not been concluded and Iran has not been forced to concede its nuclear programme.

In the White House meeting, he is expected to reportedly speak with Trump about intelligence that Iran has renewed its efforts to produce a nuclear weapon, and is doing so at an accelerated pace.

Strategically, a successful visit could lay a path to removing that threat by whatever means possible.

Politically, a successful visit could reinforce Netanyahu's image as Israel’s key international statesman who is aligned with the world’s most powerful leader, ahead of challenging general elections in Israel which are scheduled for the end of October.

In his pre-boarding statement on Monday with his wife Sara by his side in a military base in southern Israel, Netanyahu reminded the Israeli public that this would be his eighth meeting with Trump since he was re-elected for his second term which he stressed was “more than any other international leader”.

Photographers outside the White House have just captured images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival.

He is scheduled to meet with Trump and then attend Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

We are getting word now that Zelensky has left the White House, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived.

Netanyhu is huddling with Trump before all three leaders head to the funeral of Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky is still meeting with Trump at the White House as a tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham continues at the US Capitol across town. Zelensky's visit comes at a complex time in the Russia-Ukraine war, in which Ukraine is facing frequent attacks on its cities while also ramping up strikes inside Russia.

To defend against Russian aerial threats, Zelensky is hoping to come away from today's visit with a firm commitment from Trump that Ukraine will be able to produce Patriot air defence weapons under licence - a concept that Trump endorsed at the Nato summit in Ankara earlier this year.

Trump has been somewhat reluctant to provide weapons to Ukraine, saying that the US needs those weapons. Many of the same systems Ukraine wants have been used by the US during Operation Epic Fury in Iran.

While Trump has no good short-term option to replenish weapons stocks, in the longer-term, many experts believe it's in the US interest to allow Ukraine to do so and potentially free up US manufacturing capabilities.

Conversely, Ukraine's experience fighting Russia could provide expertise for the US to create cheaper, mass-produced systems to complement existing high-ticket items.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Over at the US Capitol, Vice-President JD Vance has just paid tribute to Graham during a ceremony in the rotunda, telling those gathered that the late senator was "a fierce defender of Ukraine".

During his remarks, Vance recalled a "tense" argument he once had with Graham about funding for Ukraine. Vance was a senator alongside Graham at the time.

Some in Washington are hoping memories of Graham's staunch support for Ukraine will help push legislation with fresh sanctions against Russia over the line.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

As we reported earlier, Zelensky arrived quietly to the White House, entering through a side door and avoiding the fanfare of a formal greeting at the front entrance.

Netanyahu is expected to do the same shortly.

Both meetings are considered "working visits" by the White House, meaning they are policy-oriented and business-like without much pomp and ceremony.

"Official" or "state" visits, on the other hand, are more much formal affairs. Flag-bearing troops often line the driveway to the West Wing, where President Trump greets visiting dignitaries and offers a few words to the press.

Both Zelensky and Netanyahu have received more formal receptions at the White House before. This time, they are both are coming with specific policy objectives, in addition to attending services for the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

Today, much of Washington's attention will be on Capitol Hill and the National Cathedral, where events are planned to bid farewell to Graham.

While Zelensky is meeting now with President Trump at the White House and Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump afterward, we may not get much information about what was discussed.

As of now, the meetings are closed, meaning press is not allowed in the room.

Occasionally the White House will decide spontaneously to open the meetings.

We will bring you any lines as soon as we get them.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was photographed arriving at the White House. He entered through a side door and was flanked by security.

Image source, Getty Images

Rebecka Pieder
US reporter

As the two world leaders huddle at the White House ahead of Graham's service at the US Capitol, here's a look back at Zelensky and Trump's previous meetings:

February 2025 A contentious Oval Office meeting turned into a shouting match as Trump and Vance berated Zelensky and told him he has "no cards" to play when the Ukrainian president visited the White House. The meeting ended without the minerals deal both sides had planned to sign or much progress on a peace deal.

April 2025 Trump and Zelensky met one-on-one in St. Peter's Basilica for about 15 minutes ahead of the funeral for Pope Francis. This is the first time they were seen meeting since February. Zelensky called it the "best" meeting he'd had with Trump, posting on X that they discussed a full ceasefire and lasting peace.

August 2025 Following Trump's summit with Putin in Alaska, Zelensky returned to the White House for a multilateral meeting. He handed Melania Trump a letter from his wife thanking her for work on returning Ukrainian children held in Russia.

October 2025 A meeting with Zelensky at the White House once again soured, and a shouting match ensued when Trump insisted on Ukrainian territorial concessions, according to media reports.

December 2025 Zelensky and Trump had a more civil meeting in Florida, with both leaders saying a deal to end the war was close to being reached.

July 2026 At the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump tells Zelensky the US will license Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles domestically, in a major milestone for Ukraine, which had been asking the US for more air defense support to combat Russian missiles for months.

The body of Senator Lindsay Graham has entered the rotunda, with a large American flag draped over the casket, which was carried by eight military service members.

Members of Congress and others look on solemnly, some with their hands over their hearts.

Zelensky, Netanyahu and Trump are expected to arrive at the Capitol after meetings at the White House.

As we wait for news out of the White House, over in the US Capitol, lawmakers and Trump administration officials are beginning to gather in the rotunda this morning to honour the memory of their former coworker, Senator Lindsey Graham.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at the White House ahead of his next stop at Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral.

He arrives with the hope that between his meeting with Trump, and later with members of Congress, that he can reignite US support for Ukraine.

Graham was leading a charge to pass additional sanctions against Russia before his death. Zelensky will be looking to keep momentum behind the effort.

The United States has acted as a mediator in negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine - but not much progress has been made over the past six months.

The latest trilateral talks, which concluded in early February in Abu Dhabi, did not result in substantial agreements beyond prisoner exchanges and a commitment to hold additional talks. US focus has since shifted to its war with Iran, which began on 28 February.

Trump and Zelensky spoke at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey on 8 July, however, and not only did the tone seem positive, but Trump also publicly committed to allowing Ukraine to build its own Patriot interceptor missiles, which could help the country defend against Russian missile attacks.

Zelensky also recently spoke with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, about “how to bring peace closer”, the Ukrainian president shared in a social post.

Paul Adams
Reporting from Kyiv

As he arrived in Washington last night, President Zelensky said his number one priority was the provision of anti-ballistic defence, to protect Ukraine’s cities from Russia’s frequent missile bombardments.

At the recent Nato summit, Donald Trump promised Zelensky that the US would grant Ukraine a licence to build much-needed Patriot anti-missile defence systems.

Patriots have been top of Ukraine’s wish list for much of the past four years. After the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, they are in very short supply.

Promising a licence is one thing. Actually building the highly sophisticated PAC2 and PAC3 interceptors on Ukrainian soil is another. It’s a lengthy political, legal and technical process and no-one expects it to happen soon.

A delegation from the manufacturer, Raytheon, was in Kyiv last week, discussing some of the details.

Any final agreement will only address Ukraine’s long term future needs. As always, Kyiv needs solutions now.

Graham's legacy on the international stagepublished at 14:16 BST

14:16 BST

Sarah Smith
North America editor

Lindsey Graham was the consummate Washington insider. He knew exactly how to navigate the corridors of power in pursuit of the causes he cared most about.

Senator Graham pivoted pretty quickly from being a vehement Trump critic – he called him a “race baiting bigot” in December 2015 – to working with him during President Trump’s first term in office. More recently he became a close friend and advisor to him because he knew that was the only way to try to influence the president. As they played golf together he could lobby Trump over issues like Iran and Ukraine.

He was a hardline hawk on Iran, determined to make sure the regime could never get close to developing nuclear weapon, and was instrumental in convincing Trump to bomb Iran – both in Operation Midnight Hammer last year and Operation Epic Fury earlier this year.

Graham was also a passionate supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia, persuading Trump to keep supplying arms to Ukraine and keep up economic sanctions on Russia.

That is why both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are flying in to attend the funeral. They are coming to pay their respects to a man they both considered a good friend. But they will also use the opportunity to make their cases for continued US support.

This will be the first time Netanyahu has met Trump since the war in Iran began. Just as the president is at a crossroads in the conflict: having to decide whether to stall or to dramatically escalate his attacks.

Zelensky will be saying goodbye to the man who was probably the most effective advocate he had in Washington. He has to now try to hold onto Trump’s support without the late senator's help.

So the fate of two major international conflicts will be on the agenda at the funeral service for an influential Washington operator.

Trump's 'dizzying' relationship with Zelenskypublished at 14:07 BST

14:07 BST

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent, reporting from Washington DC

There was a time when the Trump-Zelensky relationship looked, to put it politely, totally shattered. Back in February 2025, in that now infamous Oval Office meeting, Trump told Zelensky he was "gambling with World War Three" and being "disrespectful".

At other points he variously called him a "dictator" and a "modestly successful comedian" - a reference to Zelensky's previous life.

Today's sit-down couldn't feel more different. At this month's Nato summit in Ankara, Trump was practically gushing: "We've actually developed a good relationship. It's hard to believe." He even called Ukraine's deep strikes into Russian territory "positive".

The turnaround is dizzying.

So what's changed? Ukraine's battlefield successes, with increasingly bold drone strikes deep inside Russia have clearly impressed a president who respects winners more than anything else.

Nato's fresh $80bn pledge for Kyiv hasn't hurt either. At home, there's also movement within the Maga base itself. The dramatic change in rightwing activist Laura Loomer's opinion of the war during and after her visit to Kyiv - which Trump himself praised online with a perfunctory, but positive "Very good!!" - is a sign of views on the move.

But we know Trump's attitudes can "turn on a dime" - as they say in this country - so expect the unexpected.