--- title: "Trump and Zelenskyy in Ankara: A New Phase of Relations, €70 Billion, and Drone Strikes as a Diplomatic Tool" description: "The NATO Summit in Ankara gave a \"new beginning\" to U.S.-Ukraine relations. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ A €70 billion aid package, rights to produce Patriot systems, and the role of drone strikes in diplomacy were discussed. Trump acknowledged the escalation but sees it as a path to peace. πŸ•ŠοΈπŸš€" date: 2026-07-08T19:56:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-and-zelenskyy-in-ankara-a-new-phase-of-relations-70-billion-and-drone-strikes tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Trump and Zelenskyy in Ankara: A New Phase of Relations, €70 Billion, and Drone Strikes as a Diplomatic Tool ![Meeting of Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Ankara: discussing 70 billion euros and drone strikes](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/09/tramp-i-zelenskiy-v-ankare-novyy-vitok-otnosheniy-70-mlrd-eyro-i-udary-dronov/tramp-i-zelenskiy-v-ankare-novyy-vitok-otnosheniy-70-mlrd-eyro-i-udary-dronov-1.webp) The NATO Summit in Ankara marked a turning point in the dialogue between Ukraine and the United States. The meeting of leaders Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with subsequent comments from U.S. State Department representatives, shed light on new formats of interaction and concrete plans to support Kyiv. ### Financial Declaration: €70 Billion The central document of the meeting was the summit declaration, which recorded massive commitments from Western partners. According to U.S. State Department representative Ian Beithson, the document provides for the allocation of €70 billion in aid to Ukraine this year. Furthermore, it is forecasted that the volume of support next year will amount to no less than the same sum. However, despite the impressive figures, the specific contribution of the United States to this aid package remains undefined for now. Beithson confirmed that America's share would be clarified later but emphasized that the very fact of fixing such volumes of support is already an important signal. ### "A New Beginning" and the Leaders' Communication Style The State Department representative noted that many feared a lack of positive news on the Ukrainian front, but the summit dispelled these doubts. Ian Beithson emphasized that Donald Trump himself characterized the meeting as a "new beginning". Relations between the two leaders have undergone significant changes. According to the American diplomat, they are now "completely different." Trump and Zelenskyy have moved to an open discussion of key issues. Beithson commented on the U.S. President's communication style: if Trump likes something, he says so immediately, and if he doesn't like it, he speaks very directly as well. ### Drone Strikes as a Diplomatic Lever During the negotiations, Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Ukraine's military successes, in particular, drone strikes on Russian territory. Marco Rubio saw new diplomatic opportunities in these actions. Trump himself acknowledged that long-range strikes on Russia constitute an escalation, but expressed the opinion that precisely such an escalation is capable of bringing the end of the war closer. He noted that work on a peace agreement continues, although the process is not simple. In a vivid metaphor, the U.S. President compared the current conflict to "a fight between two people in a park". ### Future Plans: Patriot and a Visit to Kyiv An important outcome of the meeting was Trump's statement regarding the U.S. readiness to grant Ukraine the right to produce Patriot air defense missile systems. The President acknowledged that this is a technically complex process but expressed confidence that Ukraine would be able to master the technology quickly. Donald Trump also announced his intention to visit Kyiv. However, he suggested that such a visit is unlikely to be possible until the end of the war. Thus, Ankara became a platform where not only the financial volumes of aid were outlined, but also new vectors of military-technical cooperation and diplomatic pressure.