Trump and Zelenskyy meet at NATO summit amid Patriot missile crisis

President Donald Trump heads into the final day of the NATO summit on Wednesday, where alliance leaders are trying to project unity on defense spending, support for Ukraine and the future of transatlantic security after a series of headline-making announcements and bilateral meetings on the meeting’s opening day.

Trump will meet with NATO leaders in the summit’s only plenary session before holding bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He is expected to conclude the summit with a press conference before departing Ankara, Turkey, for Washington.

The final day came when Trump announced in a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday that the United States would lift sanctions against Türkiye and said, “We are not imposing sanctions on friends.” Trump also signaled that he was ready to move forward on the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Ankara, despite years of US opposition over Türkiye’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.

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Wednesday’s agenda is expected to focus on the alliance’s efforts to strengthen collective defense as members continue to implement higher defense spending commitments and coordinate support for Ukraine more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy will be one of the most closely watched events of the day as Kiev continues to press its allies for military aid and air defense capabilities, while also trying to maintain Western support for its war efforts against Russia.

Kiev has warned that it is critically low on Patriot interceptor missiles, which Ukrainian officials describe as the country’s most effective defense against Russia’s ballistic missile attacks. Ukrainian officials said none of the ballistic missiles launched during a massive barrage this week were intercepted due to running out of supplies.

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Ahead of the summit, Ukrainian officials called on nearly 40 partner countries to immediately transfer Patriot interceptors from their existing stocks while catching up with long-term production. Kiev also received European support for hundreds of Patriot missiles financed by Germany; however, many of these deliveries are not expected to last for months or years; This underscores Ukraine’s push for allies to close the gap with existing inventories.

Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy will be among the most closely followed events of the day. (Presidency of Ukraine / Declaration/Anatolia, via Getty Images)

Trump is also expected to meet with Syrian President Al-Sharaa, whose government is seeking closer ties with Washington following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which has reshaped the security landscape in the Middle East and created new opportunities for US-Turkey cooperation.

Before leaving Türkiye on Wednesday afternoon, Trump is expected to wrap up the summit with a press conference outlining the administration’s priorities for the alliance and the agreements reached during the two-day meeting.

Wednesday’s talks are also expected to focus on how the allies will translate their landmark pledge to spend 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense and defense-related investments in 2025 into tangible military capabilities.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte argued that the alliance must accelerate the production of weapons, ammunition and military infrastructure to deter Russia, and called on member states to submit “clear, concrete and credible plans” to achieve the goal.

Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on September 24, 2025. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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The latest day also followed a new round of criticism of Trump’s European allies. Speaking on Tuesday, the president again questioned whether NATO members were doing enough to support the United States and suggested he could withdraw U.S. troops from Europe while renewing pressure for the United States to control Greenland.

“With all the money we spent helping them with Russia… we don’t need to spend any money. We can get all our troops out of Europe,” Trump said. He also complained that despite America’s investment in European security, “you would think they would be very willing to do something to help us, but they really weren’t.”