Trump meets Zelensky at NATO summit, says strikes on Russian refineries could help end the war, offers Ukraine license to manufacture Patriot missiles
U.S. President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
During the public portion of the meeting, Trump weighed in on Ukraine’s intensifying strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, calling it “an escalation, but it’s also an escalation that could help lead to an end [to the war].”
Trump also said he intends to issue Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missiles. “This way [Zelensky] can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough. I’ll say make them yourself,” Trump said.
Trump said he plans to call Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after the meeting with Zelensky.
The last time Trump and Zelensky met in person was at the G7 summit in France on June 16. Sources at the Financial Times later reported that the U.S. president was “hugely impressed and enthusiastic” about Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign against targets in Russia and told Zelensky he was impressed by the recent successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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