US President Donald Trump is set to hold separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, the White House said Sunday.
White House deputy spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump will leave Washington on Monday evening and arrive in the Turkish capital on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of the NATO leaders’ gathering at the Beştepe Presidential Complex.
On Wednesday, Trump is expected to attend the official welcome ceremony, join the traditional family photo and take part in a NATO leaders’ working session before holding bilateral talks with Zelenskyy and Sharaa.
The meeting with Zelenskyy is expected to focus on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, a senior US official said, adding that Trump remains focused on finding a pathway toward a settlement.
“The president is obviously getting together with President Zelenskyy to talk about how we can end the war,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Trump is also scheduled to hold a press conference before departing Ankara.
The summit comes as Washington presses NATO allies to increase defense spending and take on a larger share of the alliance’s security burden. A senior US official said the administration expects all allies to show “meaningful upward trajectories” in defense spending.
The official said maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz is also likely to be discussed, with several allies expressing interest in contributing to efforts to protect shipping through the vital waterway.
“I certainly believe that the Strait of Hormuz and the protection of the maritime traffic going through there is going to be a subject that comes up,” the official said.
However, the official added that some allies may lack the ships or military assets needed to contribute meaningfully to such an effort, arguing that NATO’s ability to respond to crises depends on members building stronger capabilities.
The summit is also expected to include major defense industry announcements, with US officials pointing to billions of dollars in planned projects involving allied cooperation, co-production and new factory construction with European and Canadian partners.
Officials also addressed Trump’s long-standing interest in Greenland, saying the administration still believes US acquisition of the territory would be the best long-term solution for NATO’s defense needs in the Arctic, while alternative arrangements remain under discussion with Greenland and Denmark.
The Ankara summit, scheduled for July 7–8, will bring together NATO heads of state and government as the alliance reviews progress since last year’s summit and weighs new commitments on defense spending, industrial production and support for Ukraine.