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Donald Trump holds calls with Putin and Zelensky ahead of NATO summit, offers mediation for Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump conducted separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the days before the NATO summit in Ankara (July 6‑8 2026). The roughly 85‑90‑minute conversations were described by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as “business‑like and quite constructive.” In the talks Trump offered to help broker a political solution to the war, saying the United States was “ready to work toward a rapid end to the fighting.”
Both leaders expressed a desire to end the conflict; Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, “There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning.” Trump also scheduled meetings in Ankara with Zelenskyy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian transitional president Ahmed al‑Sharaa, while no visit to Anıtkabir was planned. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are to continue mediation efforts, and further contact with Putin was indicated. The NATO summit will address the Ukraine war among other issues, with expectations of a new multi‑billion‑euro military aid package for Kyiv.