Ankara, Jul 07 (V7N) — US President Donald Trump has departed for the Turkish capital, Ankara, to attend the annual NATO Summit, where the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war and European security are expected to dominate discussions.
This year's summit is being viewed as particularly significant amid the continuing conflict in Ukraine and the recent deadly attack on Kyiv.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Trump is scheduled to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders also spoke by telephone on Saturday ahead of the meeting.
On Sunday, Trump held a separate telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that lasted about 90 minutes.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the US president reiterated Washington's willingness to mediate efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine during the call.
Before beginning his second presidential term, Trump had pledged to end the Russia–Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. However, more than 500 days into his second term, no comprehensive agreement has been reached to bring the conflict to an end.
Despite several rounds of diplomacy facilitated by the United States, efforts to secure a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine have yet to produce a breakthrough.
Against this backdrop, the war in Ukraine, European security, defense spending and strengthening cooperation among NATO allies are expected to be the principal issues on the agenda at this year's summit.
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