Trump Skips Promised July 8 Call to Putin After NATO Summit: What It Means for Ukraine and the War

Trump's pro-Putin posture at the summit

During the Ankara meetings, Trump publicly "spoke on behalf of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin," disparaged NATO ally Spain, and renewed demands on Danish territory (Greenland), creating the impression he was shielding Moscow from alliance pressure .

No breakthrough on peace talks

Trump had proposed a Putin-Zelensky summit in August 2025 to end the war, but that plan collapsed by October 2025 . The missed July 8 call signals that momentum for a Trump-brokered deal has stalled.

Key outcomes of the Ankara summit

Despite the diplomatic drama, the summit delivered tangible results for Ukraine:

• €70 billion multi-year pledge: European NATO members and Canada committed to providing Ukraine with at least €70 billion ($80 billion) in long-term military support, with comparable levels expected in 2027 .
• Patriot co-production authorized: NATO leaders approved plans to grant Ukraine a production license for Patriot air defense systems, allowing Kyiv to manufacture components domestically. An additional $300 million was directed specifically for Patriot missiles .
• $300 million Patriot missile package: A fresh allocation for PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Ukraine was confirmed by Zelensky at the summit .
• Russia declared a 'long-term threat': The summit declaration formally labeled Russia a lasting security threat to the Euro-Atlantic area .
• Internal alliance tensions: Trump's demands to cut trade ties with Spain and his claims on Greenland threw the summit into disarray at moments, though NATO Secretary General Rutte insisted the alliance reunited by the end .

Putin likely to escalate rather than negotiate

Reuters reported on July 9, citing three sources close to the Kremlin, that Putin is rejecting calls for peace negotiations and that there is a "high probability" of escalation in the coming months . Key factors driving this:

• Ukraine's deep strikes: Kyiv's drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and ports — 194 attacks in 2026 alone, an 11-fold increase from 2025 — have hardened Putin's position, making him less willing to bargain .
• 'Horizontal escalation' risk: Analysts at CNN and The Telegraph warn Putin may consider widening the conflict — potentially through hybrid attacks on NATO's eastern flank, such as in the Baltics or Poland — rather than accepting a stalemate in Ukraine .
• Test of NATO unity: Western intelligence agencies assess Russia could launch a limited hybrid operation against a NATO member to probe the alliance's cohesion, especially after Trump's summit behavior raised doubts about U.S. reliability .

Bottom line: Trump's missed call is the latest signal that his personal diplomacy with Putin has run aground. The Ankara summit delivered substantial new military aid and Patriot co-production for Ukraine, but Putin, far from being drawn to the negotiating table, appears to be preparing for a more dangerous phase of the war.