U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that both Moscow and Kyiv want to end the war and a peace deal "is much closer" ahead of the high-stakes NATO summit. 

Trump will head to Ankara, Turkey, to attend the summit scheduled for Tuesday and is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. 

Earlier this week, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the United States' 250th Independence Day anniversary, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirming that it was within the framework of his visit to the NATO gathering.

Trump: Putin "Does Feel Pressure" to End Conflict  

Responding to whether Putin feels pressure after speaking with the U.S. President and insisting on striking Kyiv during the launch of the Trump investment accounts in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump noted that he "does feel pressure."

Trump emphasized that he held a productive conversation with the Russian leader, reaffirming a mutual desire to resolve the conflict.

"President Zelensky actually wants to end now," Trump affirmed, adding that "we are getting much closer than people realize." 

He also confirmed that the leaders will discuss peace initiatives and a resolution to end the five-year conflict during the NATO summit.

Kremlin Confirms Continued U.S.-Russia Contacts 

The NATO summit and the Trump-Zelensky talks come as the war between Russia and Ukraine has taken a sharp turn over the last few days, with intense Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital and deep Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that after the Trump-Zelensky meeting, the Russian and U.S. presidents will discuss the issues, as both parties "have agreed that their contacts will continue in the near future." 

Peskov highlighted that Trump has "a fairly consistent stance, and all these fabrications about him supposedly changing his views like a weather vane are, of course, untrue." 

Zelensky Demands "Strong Decisions" Ahead of NATO Summit 

Zelensky wrote on X earlier that the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara must result in "strong decisions" from global partners, particularly the United States and Europe, to bolster Ukraine's air defenses and protect civilian lives. 

"As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep 'vanquishing' residential buildings," he added.