WASHINGTON, D.C. – The White House hosted meetings with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. Both leaders were seeking continued support from the President on their different war efforts.
On social media Zelenskeyy described it as a good meeting and he said they focused on licenses for patriot interceptor production among other ideas.
For years Ukraine has asked for patriot air defense systems to help counter Russian missile attacks. They’re costly and take time to produce but at the NATO summit in France a few weeks ago, Ukraine was given the greenlight to manufacture patriots.
“We’ll give them the right to make Patriots,” said the President at the NATO summit. “We’ll show them how to do it. We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool, right? This way, he can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough. I say, make them yourself.”
Ahead of meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the President spoke to FOX News and downplayed reports that Israel would give him new information regarding Pickaxe mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear site. He told the network: “I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.” He added: “We took out their nuclear sites, and we’ll have to take out Pickaxe if we don’t make a deal.”
There’s been reports that Trump’s and Netanayhu’s relationship has been strained due to the war with Iran. On social media Netanyahu said the meeting focused on Iran and safeguarding Israel’s security.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described both meetings with Zelenskyy and Netanyahu as “positive and productive” but did not offer more details.
Zelenskyy will meet with a handful of Senators at the Capitol Tuesday tonight to discuss proposed legislation that would extend sanctions on Iran and impose tariffs on countries that purchase large amounts of Russian oil.
