ANKARA — U.S. President Donald Trump held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 8, 2026, at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, during the NATO leaders summit. During the meeting, Trump announced that Ukraine had been granted a license to manufacture Patriot missiles.

Trump stated that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky desire an end to the war. "We've settled a lot of wars, and this one is the one that I thought maybe would be the easiest, but Putin is a difficult character, and this guy's a difficult character," he said. Trump informed reporters he would speak with Putin that evening, following a previous conversation on July 5 that Kremlin spokespeople described as "business-like."

Trump asked Zelensky if he would be willing to meet with Putin in Moscow. Zelensky cited security concerns, stating, "It is difficult. There are lots of Ukrainian drones there. It's dangerous." Trump indicated that a meeting between the two leaders would still occur, though not in Moscow. "He'll meet, and Zelensky's gonna meet and something's gonna happen that's gonna be positive. I hope it'll happen soon," he said.

Zelensky confirmed that he and Trump discussed ideas on "how to bring peace closer." Regarding the Patriot missile license, Trump remarked, "It's a defensive weapon, which I like better than an offensive weapon." A U.S. official stated that Trump felt "a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop" and added that the "battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months, and neither side is making a lot of progress."

In other developments, Zelensky stated that Ukrainian drones struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia. "Just yesterday, Ukrainian drones broke through Russia's defenses and struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia. This is not an exception. It is the new reality. There is no major oil refinery left in Russia that has not been struck by Ukraine," Zelensky said. He added, "For a long time, Russia believed it had a territorial advantage no one else possessed – a deep rear where it could safely keep military production, military equipment, and everything its war depends on, believing no one could reach them. We have reached them."

Russian attacks killed at least four people and injured 14 others in Ukraine between July 7 and July 8, 2026. Russian strikes had killed at least 20 people in Ukraine on July 7, 2026.