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Signs are emerging that could open a window of hope for peace in Ukraine. At least that's what US President Donald Trump believes, who, upon his arrival in Ankara for the NATO summit, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and expressed his optimism.
"I had a very good conversation with Putin," Trump said later, "and I also held talks with Erdogan himself. I have a lot of respect for both of them, we have a long relationship. Finally, I also spoke with President Zelensky." According to the American president, the conclusion of these contacts is clear: "Both sides, Russia and Ukraine, want to reach an agreement, they want to sign an agreement."
During the Alliance summit, Trump is expected to present his assessment of the situation to the allies. However, for European countries, beyond the optimism of the American president, the priority remains to verify the real intentions of the Kremlin, which has so far intensified attacks on Kiev. Many of the allies are not convinced of Vladimir Putin's willingness to end the war.
“Ankara acknowledged that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could mark a turning point in this war.” However, he assessed the situation differently from Trump. “The Kremlin must understand that Russia will not be able to impose its will in this conflict and that it will not achieve its military objectives. We have asked Moscow very clearly to end this war. It is up to them to do so.”
Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the high human cost of the war. “We eliminate about 30,000 Russian soldiers every month.” A figure that shows the scale of the losses in the conflict.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed that Russia and China "are cooperating ever more closely and this should concern us all."
For his part, Zelensky reiterated Ukraine's request to join NATO, bringing a practical argument: "No other country in the world has our capabilities to protect itself from attack drones, like the Russian Shahed; we manage to shoot down over 90% of them. Does it make sense for such a country, with such people, to remain outside NATO?"
During the meeting with Rutte, Zelensky discussed Ukraine's NATO membership process, the new wave of Russian bombing, the assistance that the West will provide, as well as "joint weapons production and strengthening cooperation in the field of defense between Ukraine and NATO countries."
In fact, this is one of the main topics of the summit. One of the ways to secure Trump's support remains cooperation in the defense industry. Contracts worth over $50 billion have been signed, while another $40 billion is planned for the next five years for investments in drones. A common platform will facilitate the procurement process and verify the compliance of systems with NATO standards.
Meanwhile, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway have announced the purchase of five Northrop Grumman-made MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicles to strengthen their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The vehicles are expected to operate from Sigonella Air Base in Italy.
The objective is also to build a stronger European pillar within the Alliance. " From this summit, Merz said again, the construction of a more European NATO must emerge, so that it remains transatlantic."
"We have entered a new phase of European security," confirmed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "The member states of the European Union are rearming to defend Europe and strengthen the alliance," he said.
Through the SAFE fund, agreements have already been signed with ten member states, providing for loans worth 100 billion euros, intended for strengthening defense.
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