President Donald Trump is participating in the final day of the NATO summit on Wednesday, where alliance leaders are focusing on defense spending, support for Ukraine, and transatlantic security. Trump is scheduled to attend the summit's plenary session and hold bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa before concluding with a press conference.
On Tuesday, Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Turkey during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and indicated he is prepared to proceed with the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. The agenda for Wednesday includes discussions on strengthening collective defense and increasing defense spending commitments among NATO members, as well as coordinating support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns about a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, which they consider crucial for defense against Russian missile attacks. Ahead of the summit, Ukraine has requested immediate transfers of Patriot interceptors from partner nations while awaiting longer-term production. Additionally, Trump is expected to discuss U.S.-Turkish cooperation and outline the administration's priorities for NATO during his press conference. The discussions will also address how NATO members can meet a commitment to spend 5% of their GDP on defense by 2025.