Trump, Zelensky to meet on sidelines of NATO summit in Turkey, US official says
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U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey as part of a renewed effort to end Russia's war against Ukraine, a U.S. official told Reuters on July 5.
Trump is scheduled to arrive at the summit on July 7 and is expected to meet with Zelensky the following day.
Speaking on condition of anonymity about the trip, the official told Reuters the two leaders will discuss "how we can end the war."
"The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress," the official claimed. "The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop."
The U.S. official also said Trump will use the summit to press NATO allies to increase defense spending.
"He will deliver that message in person," the official said.
In addition, defense-related agreements worth billions of dollars are expected to be announced during the summit, though the official did not provide further details.
Trump and Zelensky last met in person at the G7 summit in France on June 16. The two leaders also spoke by phone on July 4, when Zelensky called Trump to congratulate the United States on its 250th independence day.
The planned meeting will come days after Trump held a nearly 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the U.S. president offered to help end the war in Ukraine, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
Ushakov, whose comments were made public early July 5, said Trump and Putin discussed business ties and possible steps toward resolving the conflict, with Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared to visit Moscow again.
Putin also provided updates on the battlefield, including the situation around Kostiantynivka, and Trump reiterated his willingness to assist in finding a diplomatic resolution to the war, Ushakov said.
