US President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during the NATO summit in Turkey, the White House says. White House spokesperson or deputy press secretary Anna Kelly confirms the meetings in advance of the summit in Ankara. The planned talks are set for Wednesday afternoon while Trump is attending NATO-related events.
The reports also place the meetings in the broader context of ongoing conflicts. Kyiv’s engagement with Trump is described as an effort to refocus US attention on the war with Russia, which has been ongoing for years. Separately, some outlets note that Trump has publicly discussed Syria’s role in the Middle East, and the meetings with al-Sharaa align with that apparent focus.
In addition, one outlet reports that Trump also plans to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, ahead of returning to the United States on Wednesday. Trump is also described as having a news conference after the meetings, according to the same reporting. No detailed outcomes of the meetings are reported.
