Trump Meets Zelensky and Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Ankara Ahead of NATO Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during his trip to Turkey for the annual NATO summit, with Trump scheduled to leave for Ankara on Monday evening for the two-day summit.

The Hill reported that after Trump met Zelensky less than three weeks earlier at a G-7 meeting in France, Trump said Russia “should make a deal” to end its war in Ukraine, citing mounting casualties.

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Le Monde reported that Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin and Zelensky on Saturday, July 4, to discuss the conflict in Ukraine ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, with the calls made to mark the 250th birthday of the United States.

Le Monde also said Zelensky wrote on X that “There is a real prospect to put an end to this war, and America’s resolve is decisive,” and that the two leaders agreed to continue discussions during the NATO Summit in Ankara.

The Hill added that Trump’s meeting with Zelensky is intended for the two “to talk about how we can end the war.”

A U.S. official told Reuters on July 5 that Trump will meet Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey as part of a renewed effort to end Russia's war against Ukraine, and that the two leaders will discuss “how we can end the war.”

The Kyiv Independent reported the same U.S. official saying the battlefield “has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress,” while also saying the president feels “a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop.”

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Türk iye Today said White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the meeting during a teleconference briefing alongside U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker, and described diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to a close as the central focus of Trump's sit-down with Zelenskyy.

The Hill reported that last week Russian strikes hit Kyiv, with Zelensky saying Thursday that 21 people were killed and nearly 100 more sought medical help after the attack, and that the drone and missile strikes damaged more than 100 “ordinary residential” buildings.

Le Monde added that Putin “outlined the actual situation on the battlefield (in Ukraine), where Russian armed forces are advancing confidently,” while also stating Moscow’s demand for withdrawal from the entire Donetsk region is rejected by Kyiv.

The Hill said Trump will participate in bilateral meetings with Zelensky and al-Sharaa, followed by a press conference before departing for Washington, and it described the meeting as part of an effort to end the war in Ukraine.

The Straits Times reported that Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said, “On Wednesday afternoon, President Trump will participate in bilateral meetings with President Zelensky of Ukraine and President al-Sharaa of the Syrian Arab Republic,” as Trump seeks to make headway on two key conflicts.

The Straits Times also said Trump would “follow up” with Russian President Vladimir Putin afterwards, and that both Putin and Zelensky spoke by phone with Trump on July 4 to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

Türk iye Today said Trump is expected to receive an official welcome ceremony from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, attend a NATO leaders' dinner that evening, and then join Wednesday's plenary session before returning to Washington aboard the new Air Force One, a Boeing 747.

The Hill reported that Trump also spoke to Putin by phone on Saturday, with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying the conversation lasted one hour and 25 minutes and included Trump confirming “his readiness to facilitate the earliest possible cessation of hostilities and the search for peaceful solutions to overcome the crisis,” according to Yuri Ushakov.