President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Wednesday during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, the White House confirmed. The meetings come amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine and rising tensions in the Middle East, drawing international attention to key security challenges.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly outlined the President’s agenda during a briefing, highlighting that Trump will also meet briefly with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. Trump is expected to hold a news conference before departing Turkey later Wednesday.
The encounter with Zelenskyy arrives as the war between Ukraine and Russia enters its fifth year. Both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Trump via phone on Saturday, marking the U.S. Independence Day and discussing the conflict. Zelenskyy indicated on social media platform X that their conversation addressed battlefield developments, noting that Ukrainian forces have intensified operations and demonstrated deeper strikes into Russian territory. He expressed optimism about the possibility of ending the conflict and noted that further discussions would continue at the NATO gathering.
From Moscow, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov reported that Putin and Trump’s call included Trump reaffirming a willingness to facilitate a swift ceasefire and explore peaceful resolution options. A senior U.S. official, speaking anonymously, said Trump feels urgency to seek an end to hostilities and plans to discuss potential solutions with Zelenskyy during their meeting. The official also indicated that Trump intends to engage Putin following the discussion with Zelenskyy.
Details concerning Trump’s planned meeting with Syrian opposition figure Ahmad al-Sharaa were not disclosed by U.S. officials. Al-Sharaa, a former leader of an Islamic insurgent group that opposed President Bashar al-Assad, has publicly denied interest in U.S. proposals for Syria to confront Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group currently engaged in hostilities that have complicated wider regional dynamics and U.S. diplomatic efforts regarding Iran. Though Trump has suggested that Syria could take on Hezbollah, al-Sharaa has characterized these remarks as misunderstandings.
The NATO summit thus serves as a venue for Trump to engage directly with critical leaders amid complex geopolitical issues spanning Europe and the Middle East, underscoring the administration’s focus on conflict resolution and regional security.