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President Donald Trump enters the final day of the NATO summit on Wednesday as the alliance's leaders seek to express unity on defense spending, support for Ukraine and the future of transatlantic security following a series of key announcements and bilateral meetings during the summit's opening.
Trump will join other NATO leaders in the summit's only forum before holding bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He is expected to hold a press conference before leaving Ankara, Turkey, for Washington.
The latest day comes after Trump used Tuesday's bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to announce that the United States would lift sanctions on Turkey, saying, “We don't give them friends.” Trump also signaled his willingness to go ahead with the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Ankara despite years of US opposition stemming from Turkey's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.
President Donald Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the first day of the NATO Summit. (Emrah Gurel/Ipuli via REUTERS)
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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 among the most watched events of the day as Kyiv continues to press allies for military aid and air defense capabilities while seeking to maintain Western support for its war efforts against Russia.
Kyiv has warned that it is running out of Patriot interceptor missiles, which Ukrainian officials describe as the country's most effective defense against Russian missile attacks. Ukrainian officials said no missiles launched during this week's rampage could be intercepted due to a shortage of supplies.
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Ahead of the summit, Ukrainian officials urged nearly 40 non-aligned countries to immediately transfer Patriot interceptors to their existing bases while long-term production continues. Kyiv has also received European support for hundreds of German-sponsored Patriot missiles, although most of those items are not expected to be delivered for months or years, underscoring Ukraine's pressure on allies to fill the gap with existing assets.
Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy will be among the most watched events of the day. (Ukrainian President / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Trump is expected to meet again with Syrian President al-Sharaa, whose government has sought closer cooperation with Washington following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, a change that has reshaped the security situation in the Middle East and created new opportunities for US-Turkish cooperation.
Trump is expected to conclude the summit with a press conference outlining the administration's priorities for the alliance and any agreements reached at the two-day summit before leaving Turkey on Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday's talks are also expected to focus on how the allies turn a landmark 2025 commitment to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense-related investment and defense into tangible military strength.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on member states to present “clear, concrete and credible plans” to meet the targets, saying the alliance must accelerate the production of weapons, ammunition and military infrastructure to deter Russia.
Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on September 24, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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The last day also follows another round of criticism of Trump aimed at European allies. Speaking on Tuesday, the president also questioned whether NATO members are doing enough to support the United States and suggested he may withdraw US troops from Europe as he renews US pressure to control Greenland.
“With all the money we spend helping them with Russia … we don't need to spend money. We can take all our troops out of Europe,” Trump said. He also lamented that despite America's investment in European security, “you'd think they were more willing to do something to help us, and they really weren't.”
