US President Donald Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at 2:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 8, at the NATO summit in Ankara, according to the White House schedule published by Roll Call.
Trump’s meetings will take place at the Beştepe Presidential Complex in Ankara.
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Immediately after a meeting with Zelensky, Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Following a press conference, Trump will depart from the Etimesgut military airfield back to Washington. He is scheduled to spend the full day at the summit before departing for Washington in the evening.
Tensions over US commitment to NATO
The NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8 may prove difficult due to Trump himself, CNN reported.
According to the outlet, the US president arrived at the summit in a “bad mood,” having grown increasingly skeptical of Washington’s alliance obligations following his earlier criticisms against NATO members’ lack of support for him during his war in Iran, calling the alliance a “paper tiger.”
NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Monday that the summit is likely to center on NATO members’ defense spending – a constant complaint of Trump’s – as well as support for Ukraine.
Prior to the summit, the alliance proposed to pledge €70 billion ($80 billion) in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine in 2026.
The expected package is set to include military equipment, training, and other forms of support. Part of the funding is expected to come from existing bilateral commitments as well as the EU’s €90 billion ($103 billion) loan facility for Ukraine for 2026-27.
NATO Summit in Ankara: Major Reshuffle Ahead?
The EU package includes an indicative €60 billion ($79 billion) for Ukraine’s defense needs, including investments in the country’s defense industry, procurement of weapons, and other military equipment.
However, the US is not expected to contribute any funding to the proposed package.
Zelensky’s goal in Ankara
Zelensky has already arrived in Ankara. He wrote in a Telegram post that Ukraine expects a “strong and productive” summit.
“Now we need solutions that will provide greater protection for our people, more opportunities for our defense, and even stronger security cooperation between Ukraine, Europe, and America,” Zelensky wrote.
The president said he will participate in the Defense Industries Forum on the sidelines of the summit and hold nearly 20 bilateral meetings with world leaders.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine also expects to conclude new drone agreements and other defense-related deals with its partners.
He has recently appealed for the expedited delivery of Patriot air defense missiles – particularly from the stockpiles of Kyiv’s allies – following a wave of deadly Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, including the July 6 attack on Kyiv, when Ukraine failed to intercept all 29 incoming Russian ballistic missiles in part due to the severe Patriot shortage.
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