Trump and Zelensky will meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey — media

US President Donald Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO summit, which will be held on July 8 in Turkey. The White House confirmed the planned talks, Radio Liberty reports.

The parties have not yet publicly announced the meeting, but it has already been included in the US president’s official schedule. According to the US administration, Donald Trump will also hold talks with the transitional president of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, on the same day.

The talks will take place against the backdrop of the war and discussions about support for Ukraine

It is expected that the main topic of the meeting between Trump and Zelensky will be the situation on the front, further military support for Ukraine, and possible diplomatic ways to end the war.

According to Western media, the US president also intends to discuss the results of his recent telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, and after talks with Zelensky, he does not rule out new contacts with the Russian side.

US expects greater role for Europe

Ahead of the summit, US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that Washington will continue to support Ukraine, but expects European allies to take greater responsibility in defense financing and military assistance.

The NATO summit, to be held on July 7-8 in Turkey, will be devoted to issues of Euro-Atlantic security, increasing defense spending by Alliance member states, and further support for Ukraine in the face of a full-scale war.