Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resist "pressures" as he arrived in Washington for talks with US President Barack Obama on the peace process and Iran's nuclear program.

During the meeting at the White House on Monday, the discussion will be crucial to determine whether Israel's negotiations with the Palestinians have a future beyond April 29, with US efforts focused on getting both sides to agree a framework for extending the talks.

But the rapidly-developing crisis in the Ukraine looked set to overshadow the visit, as Washington was mired in a tense showdown with Moscow after it dispatched troops to the region, in a development that pundits said could change the dynamics of Netanyahu's visit.

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac just before taking off for Washington, Netanyahu said he would discuss Iran and the peace process with Obama.

"I will insist on Israel's vital interests, first and foremost the security of its citizens. In recent years, the state of Israel has subjected to various pressures - we have rejected them. This is how it has been, and this is how it will be," he said.

Although Netanyahu would like his meeting with Obama to deal predominantly with Iran, the White House has other ideas.

Obama, issuing a veiled warning to Netanyahu on the eve of the talks, said in an interview published on Sunday that it would be harder for Washington to defend Israel against efforts to isolate it internationally if these US-led Middle East peace talks fail.

Obama, speaking to Bloomberg View, also made clear that he would press Netanyahu to allow him the time needed to test Iran's willingness to curb its nuclear ambitions, despite the Israeli leader's deep skepticism of the West's diplomatic engagement with Tehran.