US President Donald Trump is set to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey this week as Washington renews efforts to broker an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to Reuters, citing a senior US official, Trump will hold talks with Zelensky on Wednesday, with discussions expected to focus on “how we can end the war.”
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“The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months, and neither side is making a lot of progress,” the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop.”
The planned meeting follows a phone call between Trump and Zelensky on Saturday, July 4.
The conversation was first reported by Axios journalist Barak Ravid and later confirmed by Zelensky on Telegram.
During the call, Zelensky congratulated Trump on US Independence Day and thanked Washington for its continued military and political support.
“We are grateful to the United States for all the assistance provided, from Javelins and Patriots to political support, and we deeply appreciate that America stands with us in defending our independence,” Zelensky wrote.
The two leaders also discussed the battlefield situation and ongoing diplomatic efforts. According to Zelensky, there is now a “real prospect” of ending the war, adding that US leadership will be crucial to achieving that goal.
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Zelensky said they agreed to continue the discussions in person during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
The meeting also comes just days after Trump held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Trump reiterated his interest in helping secure a settlement to the conflict.
The US official said Trump is expected to speak with Putin again after meeting Zelensky.
The summit begins Tuesday, with Trump first scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the host of the gathering. He is also expected to hold talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa before addressing reporters, the White House said.
Beyond Ukraine, Trump is expected to press NATO allies to increase defense spending, a long-standing demand of his administration.
A senior US official also said several defense agreements worth billions of dollars are expected to be announced during the summit, though no details were provided.
The upcoming meeting follows Zelensky’s call last month for direct talks with Putin, an offer the Kremlin rejected.
Russia continues to insist that any peace agreement must recognize Moscow’s control over Ukraine’s Donbas region, a demand Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out.
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