Trump plans talks with Zelenskyy and al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara

In focus: pathways to ending the Ukraine war

At the center of the meeting with Zelenskyy will be the question of how the war in Ukraine can be ended. A senior US government official said: "Der Präsident trifft ihn natürlich, um darüber zu sprechen, wie wir den Krieg beenden können." There was confidence that progress could be achieved when Trump and Zelenskyy come together. The President therefore feels a real sense of urgency in trying to bring this to an end.

The US has been mediating between Russia and Ukraine in the war for some time. However, amid the US's own war against Iran, those efforts recently faded into the background. A US government official pointed out that attacks by both sides reach deep into the other's country and that enormous costs arise. Neither warring party is making significant military progress.

Past tensions, talks in June

Trump had already held phone calls on Saturday with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian president described his conversation with Trump as a "sehr guten Telefonat". They had discussed the situation at the front and diplomatic efforts. Zelenskyy also stressed that there is "die Aussicht, diesen Krieg zu beenden," and pointed to the determination of the United States.

The senior US government official expressed confidence that Trump would also reach out to Russia's President Vladimir Putin. A specific phone date was not initially given. Trump and Zelenskyy had last met in person in June at the G7 summit in France, where the heads of state and government agreed on increased pressure on Russia.

Meeting with Syria's transitional president

The relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy had previously been repeatedly tense, particularly during a heated argument at the White House in February 2025. On other issues as well, such as the Syria-Lebanon context, Trump seeks direct contact with regional actors. His planned conversation with al-Sharaa comes against the backdrop of the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Trump had repeatedly stated that Syria could militarily "um die Hisbollah kümmern". Al-Sharaa had rejected a military intervention by Syria in Lebanon in June. The Syrian transitional president pointed to "wirtschaftliche Kanäle zwischen dem Libanon und Syrien, keine militärischen". The meeting in Ankara offers an opportunity to coordinate these lines.

NATO summit plans further Ukraine aid

In parallel with the bilateral talks, the heads of state and government of the 32 alliance nations are conferring in the concluding consultations on the planned summit declaration, which is to once again pledge military aid to Ukraine in the billions. The NATO members are thereby signaling their continued support for Kyiv while diplomatic efforts to end the war continue.

According to the government spokesperson, Trump also wants to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a bilateral talk already on Tuesday evening upon his arrival in Ankara. The US president's trip thus begins with a meeting with the NATO host, before the talks with Zelenskyy and al-Sharaa follow on Wednesday.

Overall, the density of the announced appointments makes clear that Ankara for Trump is not merely a routine NATO engagement, but a platform for parallel diplomatic initiatives. Observers see the meeting with al-Sharaa as a signal to Syria's new leadership and to Israel's neighbors. At the same time, it remains open whether the talks with Zelenskyy can set in motion concrete steps to end the Ukraine war.