ANKARA, Türkiye — The Turkish capital is locked down, the flags are flying, and the eyes of the world are firmly fixed on Ankara.
Leaders from all 32 NATO member states are streaming into the city ahead of Tuesday's high-stakes summit — a two-day diplomatic marathon that will test the alliance like never before.
President Donald J. Trump is set to touch down Tuesday morning and will head straight into a packed sideline schedule, including face-to-face meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the White House confirmed.
TRUMP'S POWER MOVE: UKRAINE AND SYRIA ON THE TABLE
It's a power move straight out of the Trump playbook.
The 47th president will sit down with Zelenskyy amid a stalled push to end the grinding war in Ukraine, with Moscow demanding Kyiv pull forces from the Donetsk region — a non-starter for the Ukrainians.
Then, in a stunning diplomatic pivot, Trump will meet with Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa — the first such face-to-face between a U.S. president and a Syrian leader in years.
"This summit is about strength, and strength through unity. President Trump is going to Ankara to deliver results — not photo ops." — White House Official.
ANKARA ON LOCKDOWN: A CITY IN SHOWCASE MODE
The Turkish capital has gone into full showcase mode for the 36th NATO Summit.
Barricades are up. Roads are closed. Mounted police patrol the boulevards. Taxi drivers have even been briefed on how to greet foreign visitors with a smile.
Security is tight. More than 100 protesters were detained Sunday during an anti-NATO march organized by the Communist Party of Turkey, and authorities have banned demonstrations across large swaths of the city.
TRUMP, ERDOGAN AND THE ART OF THE SUMMIT
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will host the leaders and hold a bilateral sit-down with Trump — a meeting that could prove pivotal given Ankara's outsized role in the Black Sea, the Middle East, and NATO's eastern flank.
Erdoğan will also host a leaders' dinner Tuesday night, where Zelenskyy is expected to make the case for continued Western support.
THE STAKES: DEFENCE SPENDING, UKRAINE, AND A BRUISED ALLIANCE
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says the summit will showcase Europeans stepping up — with tens of billions of dollars in new defence contracts set to be announced.
European allies and Canada spent $90 billion more on defence in 2025 than the year before, reaching a total north of $570 billion.
But the past year has bruised the alliance. Trump's threats over Greenland, the Iran war that roiled the global economy, troop cuts in Europe, and a six-month review of the U.S. military presence on the continent have all rattled nerves.
"The alliance is alive and kicking but a bit bruised," one European diplomat told reporters.
ZELENSKYY'S WARNING: RUSSIANS PREPARING 'NEW MASSIVE STRIKE'
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, is arriving with a chilling message.
The Ukrainian president said intelligence shows Russia is preparing a "new massive strike" — timed, he said, right after America's Independence Day and before the Ankara summit.
"This is typical of Putin," Zelenskyy wrote on social media. "Russia wants to bring more evil and kill people."
WHAT TO WATCH
1. The Trump–Zelenskyy meeting: Can the U.S. president break the deadlock on Ukraine, or will the talks collapse over Moscow's demands?
2. The Syria shocker: Trump's sit-down with al-Sharaa signals a dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward Damascus.
3. Defence spending: Watch for the headline number on new European contracts — and whether Trump takes credit.
4. The Greenland ghost: Will Trump's past threats against Denmark resurface, or will the alliance paper over the cracks?
5. The Erdoğan factor: Turkey's president is playing host — and power broker. His bilateral with Trump could shape the summit's outcome.
BOTTOM LINE
Thirty-two leaders. One city. Countless flashpoints.
Ankara is ready. The world is watching. And President Trump is about to take center stage.
I News Australia Editor Nelly Yoa reporting live from the Turkish capital, Ankara, traveling in an official capacity as a member of the official media delegation in support of President Donald J. Trump's visit to Ankara.
