Trump calls Putin and Zelenskyy separately on July 5 to discuss ending Ukraine war before NATO Ankara summit

Summary

US President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 5 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, CBS News reported. The White House also confirmed Trump will hold bilateral meetings at the July 7-8 NATO Ankara summit with Zelenskyy and with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The planned meeting with al-Sharaa would be the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Syria's post-Assad government. NATO's 32 member states convene in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday under US pressure on European allies to take greater responsibility for their own defence.

Why it matters

Separate calls with both sides on the same day suggest a direct US push for ceasefire terms in the hours before the summit. The planned al-Sharaa bilateral signals Washington treating Syria's new leadership as a legitimate diplomatic partner. Whether the Trump-Putin call produces any concrete proposal will determine how much diplomatic pressure falls on Zelenskyy at Ankara.

What to watch

• Any readout from the Trump-Putin and Trump-Zelenskyy calls revealing ceasefire terms discussed
• Outcomes of Trump's bilateral with Zelenskyy at the Ankara summit on July 7
• How NATO allies frame Ukraine aid commitments in the Ankara communique alongside US diplomatic outreach to Moscow