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Simon Marks breaks down what to expect from Netanyahu and Zelenskyy's visit to Washington for Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral.
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0:00
We are with Ukraine 100%
0:03
I am personally with you 100%, Mr. President. And I will honor every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full
0:15
To put it simply, Vladimir, I want you to know that we've got your back
0:20
You can count on me and you can count on us. You can count on the UK for as long as it takes
0:27
our relationship with the UK is stronger than ever and I thank Andy for his commitment to this
0:37
partnership and for giving so much attention to defense and to our security and defense and
0:44
security are never just words when a country invests in defense and invests in security
0:51
cities like portsmouth local communities ports and shipyards become stronger and stronger they grow
1:01
they matter more and that is always a good thing today thank you to everyone in this absolutely
1:10
great city and across the UK who has stood with Ukraine who has helped us resist Russia's war and
1:20
and who is helping make sure that our two flags, the Ukrainian and the British, continue
1:28
to fly proudly above our strong ships. Now, President Zelensky, of course, very busy trying to shore up all sorts of support all
1:37
over the world. After meeting Andy Burnham he is heading of course to Washington or has headed to Washington as is has Benjamin Netanyahu Let speak to LBC Washington correspondent Simon Marks So should we talk about President Zelensky first of all
1:53
I can't be the only one who slightly cringes and just worries whenever President Zelensky and Donald Trump come together
2:01
You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War Three
2:06
No, absolutely. I mean, every single meeting, Asma, there is always the risk that it's going to go off the rails
2:12
But I think there is substantially less risk of that taking place in Washington, D.C. today
2:18
because Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in the American capital, like Prime Minister Netanyahu
2:23
there for the funeral ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham, a fervent supporter of Ukraine
2:31
He arrives in Washington at a time when Donald Trump suddenly appears to be increasingly sympathetic to Ukraine
2:41
Remember that just a couple of weeks ago, President Trump indicated that he was even willing to allow Ukraine to begin manufacturing Patriot missiles and the components to support them in Ukraine
2:56
That was an extraordinary win for the Ukrainians and redolent of the fact that it seems as though the Titanic is turning within the White House away from the backing that President Trump has offered Russian President Vladimir Putin ever since he returned to office and tilting in Volodymyr Zelensky's favour
3:20
And one really vivid symbol of that was the fact that over the last week or so far right influencer Laura Loomer a very prominent whisperer in Donald Trump ear has been in Ukraine
3:35
She, up until now, has been a fervent critic of Ukraine, avowedly, openly supporting Russia's war aims against Kiev
3:46
And she suddenly has done a complete 180 degree U-turn, saying, in fact, apologizing for the positions that she previously took, saying she was wrong
3:58
Now she's visited Kiev, interviewed Volodymyr Zelensky, been taken to the ancient monasteries and cathedrals
4:06
She has far more sympathy for the Ukrainian cause than she ever exhibited previously
4:14
And it's almost certainly not coincidental that Laura Loomer's change of heart is coming at a time when the White House is increasingly saying to itself, we need to give Volodymyr Zelensky more support
4:30
And of course, that's absolutely what Lindsey Graham was arguing for steadfastly all the way up until the moment when he passed away
4:40
He'd been in Ukraine the previous night saying that he was coming back to Washington
4:44
He believed that he had secured White House support for tough new sanctions on Russia
4:51
So very, very interesting manoeuvres taking place that I think reduce the prospect of another drubbing for the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office today
5:00
What about Benjamin Netanyahu? What are we expecting there, especially with regards to Iran
5:07
Yeah I mean it the flip side of the coin Benjamin Netanyahu who previously has enjoyed you know certainly up until the last couple of months a relatively warm and supportive relationship with Donald Trump And this is his
5:20
eighth meeting with President Trump since the president returned to office in January of last
5:25
year, suddenly found finds himself on the back foot. And that's because everything in Iran has
5:31
gone wrong. I mean, the Americans were basically told by Benjamin Netanyahu, don't worry
5:36
We're going to go in. It's going to be exactly like Venezuela was
5:40
The government will fall in a weekend, will be in and out in 96 hours
5:45
and then it will all become about building relationships with a new Iran
5:49
And, of course, the war hasn't gone that way. Benjamin Netanyahu desperately wants Donald Trump to keep pummeling regime targets
5:59
He also wants to carry on hitting Hezbollah hard. and of course Hezbollah have been firing missiles at Israel as well
6:08
And Donald Trump wants to find an off-ramp from the Ukraine conflict
6:13
And he's got Benjamin Netanyahu in a sense where he wants him because the Israeli Prime Minister himself is facing real challenges
6:21
as he heads towards an effort to try and secure re-election in Israel in October
6:28
We've had expletive-laden phone conversations between the two leaders over the last couple of months as the Americans have grown increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu
6:38
and particularly the action that he's been taking in Lebanon that they believe has helped to undermine
6:44
the memorandum of understanding that was signed with the Iranians. So I think that could be a much rougher ride today for the Israeli leader in Washington
6:53
than the ride that Volodymyr Zelensky is going to enjoy in the Oval Office
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