Russia’s war against Ukraine came up as US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met at the NATO summit in Ankara, with both leaders positioning themselves at the center of a renewed diplomatic push even as Kyiv warned that its cities remain exposed to Moscow’s ballistic missile attacks. The summit has given Erdogan a high-profile stage to present Turkey as the premier diplomatic bridge between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington. Trump, meanwhile, praised the Turkish leader’s strength and suggested that Ankara’s role as host helped shape his own decision to attend.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “If it weren’t held in Turkiye, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it’s possible that I wouldn’t have attended,” Trump said during his sit-down with Erdogan. Speaking ahead of the summit, Trump also struck an optimistic tone on Ukraine, claiming that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky want the war to end. “I think we’re getting much closer than people realize. And President Putin wants it to end, I will tell you that very strongly... and President Zelensky actually wants it to end now. And we’re going to be going to NATO and we’re going to be talking about it. And I think we’re going to get it ended,” Trump said. But in a striking remark while seated next to Erdogan, Trump also downplayed the war’s direct impact on the US.