Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a NATO summit in Turkey this week to launch a renewed effort to end the war in Ukraine, as reported by The Guardian.
A senior US official in Washington disclosed the upcoming meeting, citing an urgent need to address the stagnant frontline between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
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"The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress," said the official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity.
The official noted that Trump intends to confront international partners directly regarding financial commitments to collective security operations.
"The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop," said the official.
The official added that Trump would also urge NATO allies to increase their defense spending. "He will deliver that message in person," said the official.
Prior to the scheduled summit, Trump engaged in direct diplomatic communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin via a telephone conference on Sunday.
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Renewed Hostilities in Kyiv
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian capital experienced renewed hostilities early on Monday when a Russian missile strike hit a residential building in the historic Podil district.
"People are trapped on the seventh to ninth floors," said Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram.
The strike follows warnings issued by Ukrainian intelligence regarding imminent large-scale Russian military operations against major cities.
In eastern Ukraine, military forces continue to contest ownership of a key strategic town despite official declarations from Moscow claiming control over the area.
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"Putin has already claimed as his own, but it is obvious that he will never dare to appear there," said Zelenskyy in his daily evening address.
