Trump Signals Readiness for Putin Meeting Amid Ukraine Peace Efforts
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his intention to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “as soon as we can arrange it,” emphasizing that any progress toward ending the war in Ukraine would require direct engagement between the two leaders.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Bloomberg.
Speaking to reporters after wrapping up his tour of Gulf countries, Trump confirmed he would return to Washington immediately, shelving earlier speculation that he might detour to Turkey for potential peace talks.
“They said Putin was going, Zelenskyy was going – but I said if I don’t go, Putin won’t show up. And guess what? He didn’t,” Trump remarked, underlining his belief that his personal involvement is critical for any meaningful negotiations.
While talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are ongoing in Istanbul, with Turkish and U.S. envoys also participating, Trump insisted that only a direct conversation with Putin could deliver a breakthrough. “We’ll get it done,” he added, without providing a timeline.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s skepticism about the current round of lower-level talks, casting doubt on their potential to yield substantive results without presidential-level dialogue.
In Istanbul, Ukrainian and Russian officials are holding separate consultations with Turkish mediators and U.S. representatives. The trilateral talks aim to establish parameters for future negotiations, but with Putin absent, expectations remain low.
Despite the high stakes, Trump also pointed to personal reasons for returning home. His daughter, Tiffany Trump, recently gave birth to a son, and the president said he was eager to meet his new grandson.
While diplomatic groundwork continues, the possibility of a Trump-Putin summit looms as a potential turning point – one that could redefine the trajectory of the war and the broader geopolitical balance.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Russia continues to show no interest in compromise during the Istanbul talks, instead demanding Ukraine’s de facto capitulation while rejecting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s invitation for direct negotiations.