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

An American senior official stated that US President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky during the NATO summit in Turkey, with the aim of once again pushing for the end of the war in Ukraine.

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

The White House stated that Trump will also meet with Syrian President Assad and hold a press conference.

An American senior official disclosed that Trump will meet with Zelensky on Wednesday (the 8th) to discuss "how to end this war".

The official said, "Over the past few months, the situation on the battlefield has clearly reached a stalemate, with neither side making much progress. The president is deeply convinced that the war must be ended as soon as possible."

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

He disclosed that during the summit, several billion-dollar defense-related agreements would be announced, but he did not provide any specific details.

The US ambassador to NATO, Whitaker, told reporters that increasing defense spending in Europe is "crucial". "President Trump wants all allies to take immediate action. Not only should they embark on a sustainable 5% increase in defense spending, but they should also reach this target as soon as possible."

Kremlin aide Ushakov said earlier on Sunday that Trump had a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Putin on Saturday (the 4th), and that he was willing to help resolve the conflict 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 down or halted Russia's advance and has increased pressure on Putin.

This senior US official said that after Trump's phone call with Zelensky, he is likely to have further consultations with Putin. Zelensky had called for a one-on-one meeting with Putin last month, but it was rejected by the Kremlin leaders.

The Russian side stated that any solution must include Moscow's complete control over the Donbas region of Ukraine, but Ukraine refused to accept this claim.

European officials said that they hoped the good relations between Trump, Erdogan and NATO Secretary-General Ruttet would ensure the smooth progress of the summit.

However, Trump once complained that NATO member countries did not offer more assistance to the US in the war against Iran. As a result, European countries are now worried about this.

In recent months, the United States has repeatedly announced the withdrawal of troops from Europe and the return of resources, which has caused unease among its allies. The US claims that it will withdraw 5,000 soldiers from the European continent and significantly reduce the military assets provided by Washington in times of crisis.

Trump also angered European countries with his intention to annex Greenland, which is part of the NATO ally Denmark. US officials said that Trump still hopes to annex this territory, but given the opposition from Europe to this plan, he is exploring other options.