Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit President Donald Trump at the White House Friday in what is largely seen as a last-ditch effort to secure American military aid in Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.
The high-stakes visit marks Trump’s third meeting with a foreign leader this week and his seventh overall in his second term thus far. Foreign leaders have adopted various strategies in dealing with Trump, though a cautious approach has characterized most of their meetings.
Here’s a look into what happened during meetings with the leaders Trump has recently hosted at the White House.
Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first foreign leader to see Trump on Feb. 4. The two leaders have a long personal history and hosted a joint press conference at the White House, during which Trump called for the U.S. to “take over” Gaza, a Palestinian enclave that an ongoing war with the Jewish State has ravaged.
Netanyahu seemed to support Trump’s proposal, believing increased American support of Israel could help it end the war, which began following the Hamas-led terror attacks of October 2023.
The bold plan came weeks after Netanyahu and outgoing President Joe Biden finalized a ceasefire establishing the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. That deal now looks increasingly fragile, as some hostages — such as Shiri Bibas and her two young sons — were killed before their bodies were returned to Israel.
Japan
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba assumed his role last fall. Following the 2022 assassination of former PM Shinzo Abe — a close ally during Trump’s first term — high turnover has characterized politics in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The leaders met on Feb. 7, during which Trump said Japanese-owned Nippon Steel would drop its bid to purchase U.S. Steel outright and instead invest in the American company. During last year’s presidential election, the potential acquisition of U.S. Steel was a big issue for steelworkers and other blue-collar employees in the Rust Belt region.
Jordan
During his Feb. 11 visit to Washington, Jordanian King Abdullah II found himself dealing with the fallout of Trump’s Gaza takeover announcement from the previous week. The plan would require surrounding Muslim countries like Jordan and Egypt to accept refugees from war-torn Gaza, and Trump had threatened to withhold foreign aid to both countries if they did not agree to do so.
While making his opposition to Palestinians’ displacement clear, Abdullah ultimately vowed to take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza. The Trump administration has not taken a clear stance on the prospect of refugees returning to Gaza in this scenario. However, some officials have suggested the takeover plan would be temporary.
India
Another of Trump’s old friends, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has built a strong Hindu following over his 11 years of conservative leadership. Modi told the president he wants to “make India great again” during his White House visit on Feb. 13.
Ahead of Modi’s visit, Trump criticized Indian tariffs for restricting American access to the country’s markets and announced plans for “reciprocal tariffs” as India enjoys an overall trade surplus with the U.S.
Trump also announced an expansion of U.S. military sales to India — including F-35 jets — and increased oil and gas exports to narrow its trade deficit. The moves signal a continuation of collaborative efforts between the two countries on technology and defense issues — potentially to counter Chinese aggression elsewhere in Asia.
France
Trump’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday largely focused on the war in Ukraine. Though the leaders were friendly, they have obvious policy differences as the war surpasses the three-year mark.
Macron urged Trump not to “be weak” in dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing any peace deal should preserve Ukrainian sovereignty over territories it initially held that were invaded by Russia.
“We want peace swiftly, but we don’t want an agreement that is weak,” Macron said during a joint news conference with Trump.
Macron conceded that Europe needs to increase its contribution to Ukraine’s security. He was not afraid to interrupt Trump after the president falsely claimed European countries were loaning Ukraine money directly for its war effort.
“No, in fact, to be frank, we paid 60% of the total effort and it was like the US: Loans, guarantees, grants,” the French leader said.
United Kingdom
A Labour Party leader who lacks ideological similarities with Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has invested considerable effort into building a strong relationship with his American counterpart. Starmer — who had just been elected at the time — called Trump personally following the attempt on his life in Pennsylvania last July, and Trump has responded by publicly praising Starmer’s job performance while noting their disagreements.
On Thursday, in Washington, Starmer turned up the charm by offering Trump a state visit to meet with King Charles, which he gladly accepted. The leaders also discussed a new U.S.-UK trade deal and Ukraine policy, generally reaching similar conclusions as the Macron meeting.
Other Trump administration officials, such as Vice President JD Vance and Department of Government Efficiency advisor Elon Musk, have been far more critical of Starmer.
Vance challenged the British leader directly on Thursday over censorship issues, arguing Starmer’s government’s “infringements on free speech” had complicated the business environment for American companies operating in the UK. Starmer replied that his country has had free speech for a “very, very long time” and will continue to do so.
For his part, Musk has previously criticized Starmer over some violent acts against British children perpetrated by immigrants, suggesting America should “liberate” the people of the UK from Starmer’s “tyrannical government.”
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