President Donald Trump may travel to Turkey this week to help mediate a round of peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators.
Zelenskyy has said that he would even attend the talks personally if Putin did the same, setting the stage for a possible leader-level discussion.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on May 14, amid his ongoing Middle East tour, Trump said Putin wants him to attend the meeting in Turkey.
Still, Trump noted that many details of the meeting are still undecided.
“I don’t know if he’s showing up. I know he would like me to be there. And that’s a possibility,” Trump said.
His current travel schedule may make a stopover in Turkey challenging.
“We’re going to [the United Arab Emirates] tomorrow. So we have a very full situation,” Trump told reporters. “Now, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives and come back.”
He noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit Turkey this week.
“Marco’s going and Marco’s been very effective,” Trump said.
At the same time, he said he’s unsure whether Putin would attend the talks in Turkey if he doesn’t also attend.
On May 14, the Kremlin announced that a Russian delegation would be in Istanbul on May 15 for possible talks with Ukrainian counterparts.
Still, the Kremlin declined to specify who would represent the Russian side at the talks.
Russia unilaterally declared a three-day cease-fire from May 8 through May 10 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the day Nazi Germany was defeated during World War II, known in Russia as “Victory Day.”
Nevertheless, Zelenskyy called for Putin to accept a 30-day U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal and to extend its self-declared Victory Day cease-fire through his requested May 15 talks in Turkey.
