THE HAGUE: President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit Wednesday and suggested that increased spending by the trans-Atlantic alliance could help prevent future Russian aggression against its neighbors.

NATO members agreed to raise their spending targets by 2035 to 5 percent of gross domestic product annually on core defense requirements as well as defense-and security-related spending. That target had been 2 percent of GDP.

鈥淓urope stepping up to take more responsibility for security will help prevent future disasters like the horrible situation with Russia and Ukraine,鈥� Trump said at the summit-ending news conference shortly after seeing Zelensky. 鈥淎nd hopefully we鈥檙e going to get that solved.鈥�

Trump also reiterated his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine that began with Moscow鈥檚 invasion in February 2022.

鈥淗e鈥檇 like to get out of this thing. It鈥檚 a mess for him,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淗e called the other day, and he said, 鈥楥an I help you with Iran?鈥� I said, 鈥楴o, you can help me with Russia.鈥欌€�

Trump鈥檚 meeting with Zelensky was their first face-to-face session since April, when they met at St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica during Pope Francis鈥� funeral. Trump also had a major confrontation with Zelensky earlier this year at the White House.

Zelensky, on social media, said he discussed with Trump the possibility of Kyiv producing drones with American companies and buying US air defense systems. 鈥淲e can strengthen each other,鈥� he wrote.

He said he also talked to Trump about 鈥渨hat is really happening on the ground.鈥�

鈥淧utin is definitely not winning,鈥� Zelensky said.

Trump left open the possibility of sending Kyiv more US-made Patriot air defense missile systems.

Asked by a Ukrainian reporter, who said that her husband was a Ukrainian soldier, Trump acknowledged that sending more Patriots would help the Ukrainian cause.

鈥淭hey do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We鈥檙e supplying them to Israel, and they鈥檙e very effective, 100 percent effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.鈥�

Over the course of the war, the US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defense systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.

Trump laid into the US media throughout his news conference but showed unusual warmth toward the Ukrainian reporter.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a very good question,鈥� Trump said about the query about Patriots. 鈥淎nd I wish you a lot of luck. I mean, I can see it鈥檚 very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband.鈥�

Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, has been front and center at recent alliance summits. But as the group鈥檚 latest annual meeting of leaders opened in the Netherlands, Zelensky was not in the room. The Trump administration has blocked Ukraine鈥檚 bid to join NATO.

The conflict with Russia has laid waste to Ukrainian towns and killed thousands of civilians. Just last week, Russia launched one of the biggest drone attacks of the war.

During Trump鈥檚 2024 campaign for the White House, the Republican pledged a quick end to the war. He saw it as a costly boondoggle that, he claimed, would not have happened had he won re-election in 2020. Since taking office in January, he has struggled to find a resolution to the conflict and has shown frustration with both Putin and Zelensky.

Zelensky spent Tuesday in The Hague shuttling from meeting to meeting. He got a pledge from summit host the Netherlands for military aid, including new drones and radars to help knock out Russian drones. The White House did not allow press coverage of Zelensky鈥檚 nearly hourlong meeting with Trump.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom will provide 350 air defense missiles to Ukraine, funded by 70 million pounds ($95 million) raised from the interest on seized Russian assets.