🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱⚡- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu briefly met on the sidelines of Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral, marking a rare public interaction between two leaders whose relationship has often been strained.

Points of friction have included allegations involving Ukrainian far-right groups operating in the Middle East (a claim echoed as recently as a few days ago, this time by the Iraqi intelligence), concerns over rampant antisemitism within Ukrainian society, Israel's continued purchases of grain originating from Russian-controlled territories in the Donbass and Crimea, reports linking the Port of Haifa to vessels associated with Russia's ghost fleet, and Israel's refusal to provide military aid to Kiev. Jerusalem has traditionally justified the latter by citing its security coordination with Russia in Syria, a position that has remained largely unchanged despite the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government over 15 months ago. Netanyahu has also maintained a notably close working relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with few foreign leaders receiving more calls from the Israeli premier since his return to office in late 2022.

Israeli officials have likewise viewed Ukraine's expanding involvement in several regional conflicts with caution, as Kiev has increasingly found itself supporting actors opposed to Israeli interests. This includes support by the Timur Special Forces unit for anti-RSF operations in Sudan, assistance to Tripoli-based forces against Khalifa Haftar's LNA in Libya, and allegations of Ukrainian cooperation with anti-junta factions operating in the Sahel via Mauritania.