President Donald Trump will hold bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, according to White House deputy spokeswoman Anna Kelly [3][16]. A senior US official said Trump's meeting with Zelensky is focused on "how we can end the war," calling it a long-time priority [3][8]. The official said the battlefield "has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress," and that Trump feels urgency to bring the conflict to a stop [7][8]. Trump held separate phone calls with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, with both leaders agreeing to continue discussions in Ankara [9][14]. Trump intends to contact Putin again after his meeting with Zelensky, according to a senior US official [1][7].
The Kremlin, through aide Yuri Ushakov, described Trump as ready to help find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine war, while stating that any settlement must respect Moscow's conditions — what the Kremlin termed "политико-дипломатическому урегулированию" (political-diplomatic settlement) [9]. Ushakov said Putin provided Trump with updates on the battlefield, including the situation around Kostiantynivka, which the Kremlin claims Russian forces have captured — an assertion Kyiv denies [9]. Zelensky, in his own account of the call, described it as a "sehr guten Telefonat" (very good phone call) and said the war has a "реальная перспектива" (real prospect) of ending, with US resolve being key [9][10][14]. Zelensky also briefed French President Emmanuel Macron, stressing that "every step we take in negotiations, in putting pressure on Russia, and in bringing peace closer be as well-prepared and coordinated with our key partners as possible" [11]. He stated that "Europe must be involved in the diplomatic process, and Europe's voice must carry weight" [11].
A US government spokesperson confirmed Trump will meet al-Sharaa on Wednesday alongside his meeting with Zelensky and a Tuesday evening meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan [10]. Al-Sharaa, ahead of the summit, stated that Damascus does not intend to return to military involvement in Lebanon, instead favoring "wirtschaftliche Kanäle zwischen dem Libanon und Syrien an, keine militärischen" (economic channels between Lebanon and Syria, not military ones) [10][17]. Erdoğan has stated that Israeli military actions against Syria and Lebanon have reached a level that threatens Turkey's national security [23].
Turkey is hosting its first NATO summit in 22 years, a gathering Turkish officials present as evidence of the country's diplomatic stature [2]. Turkey's Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said leaders will discuss Euro-Atlantic threats at a strategic level and that Turkey "continues to be the voice of global conscience and diplomacy" [15]. The summit has drawn 32 member states plus Indo-Pacific partners, with a security deployment of over 56,000 personnel [12]. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro are attending summit-adjacent events to discuss defense-industry cooperation [27][28].
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is showcasing what he calls "The Trump Trillion" — a claimed 1.2 trillion dollar rise in European and Canadian defense spending since 2017 — using display boards to demonstrate fairer burden-sharing [4]. Rutte also announced that new defense contracts worth tens of billions of dollars will be unveiled at the summit [20][30]. A senior US official said "we're going to have billions of dollars in announcements on the sidelines of the summit" involving allied cooperation [3]. Reuters reported that the summit aims to smooth over tensions with Trump through European defense spending commitments and arms deals [18]. Infobae framed the summit as an "examen de Trump" (Trump exam) on the 5 percent defense spending target [21].
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that a review of US troop deployments in Europe will identify allies who fail to step up on defense spending, stating that the national defense strategy will "incentivize and enable our allies to step up and do their part" [4]. A senior US official said the administration expects all allies to "demonstrate meaningful upward trajectories" in defense spending [3]. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called for "a synchronized way of doing it" to avoid military shortfalls during any transition [4]. Trans-Atlantic security expert Claudia Major warned that "if the summit displays political division, if there's open dispute, if the US president criticizes one ally for not spending enough, for not doing enough in the Iran war, this is weakening the political cohesion and with that also the military deterrence and defense message" [4]. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the G7 outcome "may open up, perhaps for the first time, a chance for peace" [4].
Turkish and Western analysts expect Trump to greenlight F110 GE engine exports for Turkey's KAAN fighter jet program, potentially easing the broader S-400/F-35 sanctions dispute [5]. Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based Edam think tank, said "it's likely to be the green light for the F110 GE engines for the KAAN fighter plane, about 40 of them" [5]. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan linked engine approval to resolving the F-35 dispute, while retired US envoy Matthew Bryza cautioned that CAATSA sanctions require congressional action [5]. International relations expert Mustafa Aydin said "changing the congressional decision won't be easy" [5].
The Trump administration still views US acquisition of Greenland as the best permanent solution, according to a US official who said governments in Greenland, Denmark, and the US "want to solve this... permanently" [3]. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that any Arctic and Greenland security talks must respect Denmark's territorial sovereignty [19].
NATO officials have flagged Strait of Hormuz maritime security as a summit agenda item. A senior US official said "the Strait of Hormuz and the protection of the maritime traffic going through there is going to be a subject that comes up," noting many allies lack adequate naval assets [3]. NATO Military Committee Chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone stated that NATO member countries are moving forces closer to the Persian Gulf and may intervene to reopen the Strait if conditions are met [29]. Rutte said threats against the Strait of Hormuz have wide-ranging consequences for international security and the global economy [22].
Ahead of the summit, Turkish authorities arrested dozens of journalists, rights activists, and academics in raids across several provinces [13]. Euronews Türkçe reported that 103 people, including TEMA volunteers and journalists, were detained [24]. Lawyer Erman Ozturk said the raids aim to "intimidate democrats, leftists, and the press" [13]. Reporters Without Borders Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu condemned what he called "blind, arbitrary, and haphazard operations" endangering journalists' safety [13]. The Turkish Journalists' Association said it is "unacceptable for journalists to be placed under pressure and attempted to be silenced through the threat of detention" and demanded the release of all those detained [13]. Human Rights Watch described the crackdown as severe suppression of expression and assembly [25].
Trump is expected to hold a press conference before departing Ankara on Wednesday evening [6]. A senior US official said Trump will likely follow up with Putin after his meeting with Zelensky [7]. Zelensky is attending the summit to secure a new financial commitment of military support for Ukraine, potentially reaching 70 billion euros [26].