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Graham funeral, Oval Office
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump attended the funeral of late Sen. Lindsey Graham at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, after lawmakers gathered earlier at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Ahead of the service, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held back-to-back sit-downs with Trump in the Oval Office, with Zelensky using the time to push for more help defending Ukraine from Russian air strikes and urging Trump to restart negotiations toward a ceasefire.
The Globe and Mail reported that Zelensky wrote on social media after the meeting, “The President and I discussed licences for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help,” and it said Ukrainian officials expected Trump’s international negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to visit Kyiv to follow up.
The Hill’s live updates said Trump met with Zelensky then Netanyahu at the White House ahead of the funeral, and it described the meeting between Trump and Netanyahu as the first at the White House since before the Iran war started in February.
The Guardian framed the Oval Office timing as pivotal, saying Netanyahu and Zelenskyy were set to arrive in Washington simultaneously with the goal of winning the ear of Donald Trump at moments in wars affecting their respective countries.
Quotes and meeting signals
At the Capitol ceremony, Vice President JD Vance delivered remarks praising Graham as someone who “loved people from all walks of life,” and he recalled that Graham could fight with you on one issue but fight for you on another.
Vance said, “I choose to remember Lindsey Graham as a person who could fight with you on one issue, but fight for you on another issue,” and he added, “I remember Lindsey Graham as a man who loved people, and because he loved people, he was willing to reason with them.”
The BBC reported that Zelensky said he had a good meeting in which he discussed Kyiv being given a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine to boost its defenses against Russia, and it said Zelensky also talked about restarting peace talks.
The BBC also reported that Netanyahu “reported a positive meeting – saying it was one of the best conversations he'd ever had with Trump,” as they discussed their common goal of ensuring Iran does not get nuclear weapons.
In a separate account of the day’s tone, The Straits Times quoted Trump in an interview with Fox News saying, “It really ended up being a great friendship,” praising Graham for his help navigating partisan politics in Washington.
What’s at stake next
The funeral events were also portrayed as a hinge for U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Iran, with The Guardian saying the meetings came as US policy towards the wars in Iran and Ukraine was in a state of flux.
The Globe and Mail reported that the U.S. President suspended air strikes last Friday as he seeks to revive a previous ceasefire with Tehran, and it said Zelensky used the Oval Office time to push for more help defending Ukraine from Russian air strikes.
The Hill’s updates added that the U.S. military has paused its attacks on Iran since Saturday, allowing time for negotiations, and it said friction was building over how to handle passage of the SAVE America Act.
The BBC said both Ukrainian and Israeli leaders traveled to Washington to attend Graham’s funeral and that it was important for them that they took the chance to meet with President Trump, with both appearing satisfied that they continue to have US support for their causes.
Looking beyond the memorial, The Hill said the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence (DNI) in a 51-47 party-line vote, and it described Clayton as overseeing coordination among the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and producing a daily brief for the president.
