ANKARA — U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a bilateral meeting on July 8, 2026, at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey. During the meeting, Trump announced that Ukraine would receive a license to manufacture Patriot missiles.

Trump expressed optimism regarding upcoming peace talks involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, "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 asked Zelensky if he would meet Putin in Moscow. Trump said, "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 added that he spoke with Zelensky immediately after a conversation with Putin on July 7, 2026, which he described by saying, "I had a very good talk with President Putin... We had a long talk yesterday. It lasted a long time. And I also spoke with President Zelensky right after that. I think they both want to make a deal. It's too bad it took so long. But I think there's something."

Zelensky indicated that he and Trump discussed ideas to advance peace. When asked about meeting in Moscow, Zelensky said, "It is difficult. There are lots of Ukrainian drones there. It's dangerous." Trump told reporters on July 8, 2026, that he would speak with Putin again that evening. Trump and Putin had last spoken on July 5, 2026, a conversation that Kremlin spokespeople described as business-like.

Zelensky pressed NATO allies for effective anti-ballistic systems and missiles during his visit to Ankara. In a speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum, Zelensky stated, "Today's wars have shown that current Patriot production is not enough to meet the growing demand for protection against ballistic missiles. That is a fact. And we must respond to that fact. Those who defend life need more Patriots." Trump described the Patriot missile as a "defensive weapon, which I like better than an offensive weapon."

Zelensky also urged NATO states to allow Ukraine to join the alliance, posing the question, "Do you really believe it would be right to leave outside NATO a country and a people with this level of defensive capability?" He commented on Ukraine's drone capabilities, noting that Ukrainian drones had struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia the previous day. "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.