Trump will skip Ukraine-Russia peace talks as Putin evades negotiations, US official says
U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend Ukraine-Russia peace talks to be held on May 15, Reuters reported on May 14, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will reportedly travel to Istanbul for the planned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Trump to join the negotiations in Turkey.
Trump will not attend the peace talks, as Russian President Vladimir Putin skips the negotiations, the U.S. official said after Russia unveiled who will be a part of its delegation.
The Kremlin announced that their delegation would be headed by presidential advisor and propaganda architect, Vladimir Medinsky.
The Russian delegation will also consist of Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Director of Russian Military Intelligence Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
The delegation is notably void of the Kremlin's top politicians, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Following Putin's calls for direct peace talks, Zelensky on May 11 said he will attend the negotiations and invited Putin to meet him in Turkey.
In his address, Zelensky called for Trump to attend the peace talks.
"(W)e also hear that President Trump is considering attending the meeting in Turkey. That could become the strongest argument," he said.
Trump has said that the U.S. may consider implementing additional sanctions against Russia if it does not reach a peace deal with Ukraine to end the war.
