Trump plans meeting with Zelenskyy as Kyiv pushes for diplomatic momentum

Zelenskyy, for his part, said he had already spoken with Trump by telephone and described the exchange in positive terms. He said there was "die Aussicht, diesen Krieg zu beenden", and that US determination was decisive in reaching that outcome. Speaking after the call, Zelenskyy said he and Trump had discussed "die Lage an der Front" and ongoing "Bemühungen auf diplomatischer Ebene" during what he called a "sehr gutes Telefonat".

NATO summit in Ankara sets the stage

The reported outreach comes against the backdrop of the NATO summit held in Ankara, which has drawn the Ukrainian leader and the US president into the same diplomatic orbit alongside other heads of state and government. The Ankara gathering has served as a focal point for discussions about European security, continued military assistance to Ukraine, and possible paths toward a negotiated settlement.

US officials have framed the upcoming Trump–Zelenskyy engagement within a broader diplomatic track that Washington is pursuing simultaneously on several Middle Eastern files. According to the same senior US official, separate US efforts aim to establish "wirtschaftliche Kanäle zwischen dem Libanon und Syrien", and not military ones, as part of a wider effort to reduce regional tensions.

The Syrian dimension of US policy adds another layer to the diplomatic calendar. Trump has previously suggested that Syria could "um die Hisbollah kümmern" inside neighbouring Lebanon, framing the idea in military terms. The current US line, as articulated by the senior official, is that Washington prefers economic and political channels between Beirut and Damascus rather than the use of force.

Middle East track runs in parallel

Zelenskyy's participation in the NATO summit and his outreach to Trump underscore Ukraine's continued effort to keep Western engagement high at a moment when Western attention is divided. Kyiv has stressed that sustained political backing from Washington, alongside deliveries of military aid, remains essential for its defence and for any eventual peace negotiations.

The senior US official did not specify when the Trump–Zelenskyy meeting would take place, nor did the official say whether a third-party intermediary or a broader negotiating format was being considered. The mention of the planned encounter followed Trump's telephone conversation with Zelenskyy and came as the Ankara summit continued its closed-door sessions.

Analysts and Western diplomats at the summit have pointed to the meeting as a signal that the personal channel between the two leaders remains active, even as the substance of any future deal remains undefined. Zelenskyy's remarks about US resolve suggest Kyiv is seeking to convert that personal contact into concrete movement on the diplomatic track.