US President Donald Trump is scheduled to conduct bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during the NATO summit in Turkey. The high-profile summit is set to commence on Tuesday as the United States intensifies its efforts to resolve the prolonged conflict in Ukraine.
Trump’s agenda will begin with a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the summit host, followed by discussions with other regional leaders and a White House press briefing. In a significant development, his meeting with Zelenskiy on Wednesday will concentrate on strategies to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Officials note that the conflict has reached a deadlock, with neither side achieving substantial advances in recent months. Trump reportedly feels an urgent responsibility to facilitate a resolution. Prior to the summit, he engaged in a 90-minute phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to explore potential peace avenues and is expected to speak with Putin again after his meeting with Zelenskiy.
Aside from the Ukraine crisis, Trump is anticipated to emphasize the importance of burden-sharing within NATO. He plans to deliver a direct message urging European allies to significantly increase their defense expenditures. Although the White House has hinted at the announcement of multi-billion-dollar defense agreements during the summit, detailed information has yet to be disclosed.
European diplomats have expressed cautious optimism that Trump’s strong personal relationships with Erdoğan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will contribute to a successful summit. Nevertheless, concerns remain due to ongoing transatlantic tensions related to the US-led campaign against Iran and Trump’s repeated public complaints about European allies not providing adequate support to the US-Israeli coalition.
