Air defence tops Ukraine's agenda at NATO summit, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the NATO summit in Ankara would yield decisions to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and broaden its defence capabilities.

The president described the summit as one he hopes will be “strong and productive.”

“Decisions are needed now that will provide greater protection for our people, more opportunities for our defence, and even closer security cooperation between Ukraine, Europe, and America,” the Ukrainian leader said on social media.

Important work lies ahead in Ankara. We expect a strong and productive NATO Summit. Decisions are needed now that will provide greater protection for our people, more capabilities for our defense, and even stronger security cooperation between Ukraine, Europe, and the United… pic.twitter.com/SiOTCnan1O

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 7, 2026

Zelenskyy added that he plans to hold nearly two dozen bilateral meetings with world leaders and will also attend the NATO Defence Industry Forum.

New drone agreements and other arrangements with international partners are expected to be concluded on the sidelines of the summit.

According to Zelenskyy, enhancing Ukraine’s air defence network remains the country’s key priority at the gathering.

“New systems, missiles for them, and licensing issues related to production — all of this is our priority. We are grateful to everyone helping Ukraine through concrete actions,” he said.

It was also announced that a meeting between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump is scheduled to take place on July 8 during the NATO summit in Ankara.

By Jeyhun Aghazada