Two meetings and a funeral: diplomacy on the sidelines of Lindsey Graham’s memorial service

Lindsey Graham's memorial service at Washington National Cathedral became the stage for high-level diplomatic meetings this week. As The Conversation reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu each sat down with President Trump for ninety minutes. Zelensky arrived in a strengthened position. Ukraine has struck deep into Russian territory, inflicting substantial economic and military damage, and is becoming a valuable technology partner in drone development. The meetings appear to have shifted Trump's approach: the Senate voted eighty-six to twelve to advance sanctions against countries trading with Russia and Iran, and Trump recommitted to Patriot missile manufacturing in Ukraine. Netanyahu faced a more constrained situation. His meeting covered disagreements on Iran's nuclear development and fighter jet sales to Turkey, with no tangible agreements announced. With Israeli elections in October, he had considerable political incentive to appear close to Trump. The Conversation's analysis notes, though, a fundamental limitation: conflicts in Ukraine and Iran are increasingly intertwined, weapons shortages now threaten Ukraine's air defenses, and the White House lacks capacity to manage both wars effectively.

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