Trump says he might join Russia-Ukraine peace talks on May 16 if progress is made
U.S. President Donald Trump said he might still go to the potential Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 if there is progress toward a deal, the BBC reported.
"We'd like to see (the war) end and I think we have a chance of doing it," Trump told journalists during his official visit to Qatar on May 15.
Reuters previously reported that Trump, currently on his tour in the Middle East, would not attend the expected talks on May 15. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, were confirmed to join the discussions on May 16.
Russia proposed to launch direct negotiations with Ukraine this week in lieu of an unconditional ceasefire proposed by Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately agreed to attend and invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to an in-person meeting in Istanbul on May 15.
The Russian leader seemingly declined to join himself and appointed his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the talks. The Russian delegation has already arrived in Istanbul.
When asked by the Kyiv Independent, a source close to the Presidential Office did not confirm whether Ukraine would still hold the talks if Putin does not join.
When asked about Putin's absence by a journalist, Trump responded, "Why would he go if I'm not going?"
The White House has grown increasingly frustrated with the stalled peace efforts as its self-imposed 100-day deadline to broker a deal has passed. The U.S. president has been critical of both Ukraine and Russia, blaming them for the deadlock in the negotiations.
After meeting Zelensky in the Vatican on April 26, Trump admitted that Putin may not be interested in peace and floated the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Russia.
Martin Fornusek
