Trump Offers To Join Putin/Zelensky For Possible Peace Talks: ‘Save a Lot of Lives’
Efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine are nearing a key point in Istanbul, where Presidents Putin, Trump, and Zelensky might meet for a three-way meeting on Thursday.
Zelensky has asked Putin to meet face-to-face in Turkey for the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s full-fledged invasion in 2022.
Trump has also stated that he may join them if there are signs of an agreement to cease the violence. Although the Kremlin has stated that it will send a delegation, it has yet to announce if Putin will attend.
Speaking with reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he was still considering whether he would attend Ukraine peace negotiations planned for Thursday in Istanbul.
“He’d like me to be there, and that’s a possibility,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there. We’re going to find out.”
Trump had previously stated that he would visit Istanbul for the discussions as part of his journey to the Middle East this week. He left for Qatar on Wednesday and will arrive in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
“We have a very full situation. Now, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives and come back,” Trump said, according to a pool report from the Washington Post. Trump noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be at Thursday’s talks in Istanbul.
Putin first proposed the meeting in an apparent attempt to derail Western nations’ intentions to impose further sanctions if Moscow did not commit to a 30-day truce on Monday. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested that the Russian leader meet with him in person in Istanbul.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said Wednesday that Moscow will send a team to Istanbul but did not indicate who would represent Russia. He also declined to confirm if Putin will attend the talks.
WATCH:
Trump is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, the final stop on his Gulf tour. However, he stated that he was prepared to postpone “to save a lot of lives.”
Trump said that Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, intends to visit Istanbul, “Marco is going and Marco has been very effective.”
Kyiv has stated that Zelensky will refuse to talk with any Russian authorities other than Putin in Istanbul. The last time the two leaders met was in Paris in 2019. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated that the Russian delegation will be notified “once we receive the relevant instructions from the president.”
“If Putin doesn’t come, it will look like a complete defeat for him,” Zelensky told European media outlets. “If I meet him, we must come away with a political victory: a ceasefire, an all-for-all prisoner exchange, or something along those lines.”
Zelensky stated that international mediation, preferably by the United States, would be required. “Russians will not trust us, and we will not trust them. We must comprehend the purpose of my meeting with Putin. He and I can’t agree on everything right now—that’s impossible. But we must find a way to stop the conflict.”
He cautioned that if the violence persisted for years, Ukraine’s long-term viability would be jeopardized. “No one knows how long this will persist. But not in ten years. “Ukraine would not survive,” he stated. “It’s costly for everyone, not only for our friends, but also for our enemies.”
Putin suggested the talks in Istanbul after rejecting a European ultimatum of a 30-day truce. Ukraine initially stated that it would not participate unless Russia committed to a ceasefire. However, Zelensky altered his position after Trump persuaded him to travel to Istanbul for meetings that would determine if Putin was genuine about peace.
