Trump will attend the NATO summit and meet with Zelensky to push for an end to the war.

A senior U.S. official indicated that President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky during the NATO summit in Turkey in an effort to push for an end to the war in Ukraine.

Reuters reported that White House spokesman Kelly said on Sunday (July 5) that Trump will arrive in Turkey on Tuesday (July 7) to meet with Turkish President Erdogan, and then hold a summit with all NATO members the following day.

The White House indicated that Trump will also meet with Syrian President Shah al-Shabaab and hold a press conference.

A senior U.S. official revealed that Trump will meet with Zelensky on Wednesday (8th) to discuss "how to end this war".

"The situation on the battlefield has clearly reached a stalemate over the past few months, with neither side making much progress," an official said. "The president feels a strong urgency to end this war as soon as possible."

He also said that Trump will urge NATO allies to increase defense spending. "He will deliver this message personally."

He revealed that defense-related agreements worth billions of dollars would be announced during the summit, but did not disclose specific details.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Whitaker told reporters that increasing European defense spending is "crucial." "President Trump wants all allies to act immediately, not only on a path to sustainable 5% defense spending growth, but to achieve that goal as quickly as possible."

Kremlin aide Ushakov said publicly earlier on Sunday that Trump spoke with Russian President Putin for about 90 minutes on Saturday (4th) and said he was willing to help resolve the war in Ukraine.

Trump has previously expressed regret over the casualties and destruction on both sides of the conflict. In recent months, Ukraine has successfully slowed or halted Russia's advance and increased pressure on Putin.

The senior U.S. official said that Trump is likely to hold follow-up consultations with Putin after his call with Zelensky. Zelensky called for a one-on-one meeting with Putin last month, but was rejected by the Kremlin leader.

Russia has stated that any solution must include Moscow’s full control over the Donbas region of Ukraine, but Ukraine has rejected this claim.

European officials say they hope that Trump's good relations with Erdogan and NATO Secretary General Rutte will ensure the summit goes smoothly.

However, Trump has complained that NATO members have not provided more assistance to the United States in its war against Iran, which has caused concern among European countries.

In recent months, the United States has repeatedly announced troop withdrawals and resource repatriations from Europe, unsettling its allies. The US says it will withdraw 5,000 troops from the continent and significantly reduce the military assets Washington would provide in a crisis.

Trump's intention to annex Greenland, part of NATO ally Denmark, has also angered European countries. U.S. officials say Trump still wants to annex the territory, but is exploring other options given European opposition to the plan.

Source: [Lianhe Zaobao] (https://www.zaobao.com/news/world/story20260706-9317950)