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

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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. He was instrumental in convincing President 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 III" 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 turnaround in view by the rightwing activist, Laura Loomer, after visiting 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.

Paul Adams
Reporting from Kyiv

Donald Trump loves a winner, and that is how President Zelensky will aim to present himself at the Oval Office today.

The two leaders have come a long way since February 2025’s disastrous encounter in the same room, when President Trump told his visitor that he had “no cards.”

Ukraine’s long-range strikes, deep inside Russia, are having a significant impact, disrupting Vladimir Putin’s wartime economy and bringing the war home to the Russian people in ways they haven’t experienced before.

On the front lines, little of any significance is changing. If anything, Ukraine has regained ground in recent months.

At the last NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump told Zelensky he had “done an amazing job.”

With the US president still embroiled in the conflict with Iran, it will not have gone unnoticed in Washington that Ukraine recently struck an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea which Kyiv said was being used to ferry military equipment between Russia and Iran.

President Zelensky will be hoping to capitalise on a possible shift in Donald Trump’s attitude towards the war in Ukraine.

Image source, Getty Images

Netanyahu and Zelensky are in Washington DC today primarily to attend the funeral of Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham.

Graham, who died on 11 July at the age of 71, was a staunch, vocal supporter of the US relationship with both Ukraine and Israel.

“America and the world have lost a determined leader,” Zelensky said in a tribute to Graham after his passing. The Republican senator died a day after returning from a trip to Kyiv.

Graham had lobbied for additional US military assistance to Ukraine and travelled to the country 10 times. He died shortly after announcing White House support for a bipartisan bill he spearheaded on Russia sanctions.

Throughout his career, Graham had also been an outspoken supporter of Israel and a close ally to Netanyahu.

He regularly advocated for more military aid for Israel, defended Israel's war in Gaza, and opposed Iran.

“I’ll stand with Israel until the day I die. It is our greatest ally,” Graham told The Jerusalem Post just a few months ago.

The main funeral service for Graham will take place at 14:00 ET (19:00 BST) at Washington National Cathedral, where President Donald Trump will deliver remarks. There will also be a tribute ceremony at 10:00 ET (15:00 BST) at the US Capitol.

Image source, Getty Images

The first of the White House meetings today is expected to be between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which is scheduled at 09:30 ET (14:30 BST).

The two leaders last met in December in Palm Beach, Florida at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort where they leaders discussed a plan to end the war in Ukraine.

Both Zelensky and Trump at the time said a deal was close to being reached, but there were still a few main sticking points, including how much territory Ukraine would hand over to Russia, and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which remains under Russian control.

Prior to their December meeting, the leaders had a more contentious meeting at the White House in October 2025.

Media reports at the time suggested the October meeting descended into a"shouting match" - with the US side urging Ukraine to accept Russia's terms to end the war. In a press briefing afterwards, Zelensky made clear that there were large areas of disagreement between Ukraine and the US.

Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent

Israel and the US have long been close allies, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington today comes amid unusually tense relations between the two countries.

Netanyahu has complicated the Trump administration’s push to end the war with Iran, including earlier this year when an Israeli attack on Lebanon upended talks between Washington and Tehran. Trump urged Netanyahu to back down, and Vice President JD Vance has also been critical of Israel’s approach to its war with Lebanon.

Trump and Netanyahu will likely present a united front - publicly, at least - during the Israeli leader’s visit to the US. But one visit won’t resolve months of tension and disagreements over how to deal with Tehran.

Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are separately expected to meet with US President Donald Trump today in Washington DC.

The leaders are in town to attend the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was a strong proponent of both countries before his death earlier this month.

Ahead of the main funeral service, Zelensky and Netanyahu will each stop by the White House to meet the president. Both are fighting wars at home - and both have had their fair share of tension with Trump.

Zelensky will stop by first at 09:30 ET (14:30 BST), with Netanyahu to follow at 11:00 ET (16:00 BST).

The Senate is also expected to meet with Zelensky as it prepares to vote on a Russia sanctions bill.

We'll keep you updated on all the day's happenings here.

Image source, Getty Images