--- title: "Zelenskyy and Trump in Ankara: Air Defense, Patriot Production, and the 'Park Fight' Discussion" description: "Zelenskyy and Trump met in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Key topics included air defense, Patriot production, and the peace plan. Trump stated that escalation could lead to the end of the war and compared the conflict to a fight in a park. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦" date: 2026-07-08T12:56:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyy-and-trump-in-ankara-air-defense-patriot-production-and-the-park-fight-discussion tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelenskyy and Trump in Ankara: Air Defense, Patriot Production, and the 'Park Fight' Discussion ![Zelenskyy and Trump shake hands in front of Ukrainian and US flags in Ankara, discussing air defense and Patriot production](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/09/zelenyi-i-tramp-v-ankare-pvo-proizvodstvo-patriot-i-razgovor-o-drake-v-parke/zelenyi-i-tramp-v-ankare-pvo-proizvodstvo-patriot-i-razgovor-o-drake-v-parke-1.webp) On Wednesday, July 8, a key meeting between leaders took place on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump. The negotiations, which began at 15:52 Kyiv time, took place immediately after the North Atlantic Council meeting. According to the official agenda, the dialogue between the two leaders was allotted one hour, after which Trump moved on to a meeting with the President of Syria and a final press conference. ### Key topics: from air defense to the 'drone deal' Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined the main priorities of the negotiations even before they began. The top three topics included strengthening Ukraine's air defense, the peace process, and the so-called 'drone deal'. According to the Ukrainian leader, it is now critically important for Kyiv to find a way to receive missiles for Patriot systems as quickly and in as large a volume as possible. 'This is the most important thing we will discuss. This is an urgent topic for us,' emphasized Zelenskyy, adding that before meeting with Trump, he always has a 'combat' mood. ### Trump on Ukraine's future and Patriot production The American leader began the conversation with an assessment of bilateral relations. 'We have developed good relations β€” from the Oval Office to now,' Trump stated. In response to Zelenskyy's comment that this is 'not the end,' the US President retorted: 'This is the beginning.' Trump also expressed confidence in Ukraine's great future, pointing to its land, resources, and people. One of the most intriguing statements was a promise regarding air defense systems. Trump reported that the US might allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles independently. 'A little bird whispered to me that we will give them the right to make Patriots, we will show them how to make them,' shared the American President. ### Escalation as a path to peace The discussion of Ukraine's military capabilities went beyond simple armaments. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Washington is discussing the possibility of enhancing Ukraine's long-range capabilities, including the ability to strike deep into Russian territory. Commenting on this, Trump called such actions escalation, but added an important nuance: 'This is escalation that could lead to the end of the war.' Talking about a peace agreement, Trump compared the current conflict to a fight between two people in a park. 'Sometimes, perhaps, you have to let them fight,' he noted, adding that the agreement 'has been in the works for a long time.' According to Trump, Vladimir Putin wants to end the war quickly, and Russia's conditions are 'becoming softer.' The US President also stated that he intends to speak with Putin later that same day. ### Security guarantees and venue for negotiations During the conversation, the leaders also touched upon the issue of security guarantees. Trump expressed the opinion that in the event of signing a peace agreement, the need for such guarantees would disappear, since 'there would be no need to close the sky.' There was no shortage of humor either. Trump asked Zelenskyy if he was ready to come to Moscow for negotiations. The President of Ukraine replied that the Russian capital is currently dangerous due to Ukrainian drones, and suggested looking for a meeting place in Europe. ### Background and context This meeting was a continuation of the dialogue started on June 16 at the G7 summit in Evian. At that time, the leaders had already discussed Ukraine receiving licenses to produce anti-ballistic missiles. Trump called those negotiations 'very good' and stated that Russia must sign a peace agreement, as the sides have already lost 'a huge number of people.' On the eve of the summit in Ankara, Trump stated that he had recently spoken by phone with both Zelenskyy and Putin. He expressed the opinion that both sides want to reach an agreement, and although ending the war may seem unlikely now, 'it is precisely at such moments that unexpected breakthroughs sometimes happen.' The US President emphasized that he is striving to end the conflict, as it is 'very cruel' and claims lives daily.