Trump to Meet Zelensky at NATO Summit in Turkey to Discuss War Ceasefire

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday at the NATO summit in Turkey, according to Reuters and sources close to the US administration. The talks are expected to focus on the stalled peace process and prospects for a ceasefire along front lines where neither side has made significant advances in months.

Summit Agenda and Key Meetings

Trump's schedule at the summit includes bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has played a mediator role in the conflict, and with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara. The alliance is set to announce defence procurement deals totalling billions of dollars, as Trump has pushed member states to dramatically increase their defence spending commitments. Several European allies have already signalled they will meet or exceed existing targets.

War Stalemate and Ceasefire Talks

A senior US official described the battlefield situation as one where "no side is making significant progress" — a characterisation underscoring the war's transition into an attritional phase. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have dug into fortified positions along a front line stretching more than 1,000 kilometres.

Zelensky has consistently maintained that any ceasefire must not reward Russian territorial gains and must include firm security guarantees for Ukraine. The Trump administration has expressed a desire to broker a quick end to the conflict but faces resistance both from Kyiv's insistence on sovereignty and Moscow's refusal to accept terms that do not recognise its claimed annexations.

Alliance Defence Spending Push

Beyond Ukraine, Trump is expected to press NATO allies to accelerate defence expenditure. The partial withdrawal of US troops from Estonia — announced days before the summit — has heightened anxiety among Baltic and Eastern European members about the credibility of the American security umbrella, adding urgency to discussions about burden-sharing within the alliance.