Trump says ‘possibility’ he will go to Turkiye talks if Putin does

U.S. President Donald Trump. File
| Photo Credit: Evan Vucci

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (May 14, 2025) said there was a possibility he would head to Turkiye for talks on Ukraine if his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin also travelled there.

“I don’t know that he (Putin) would be there if I’m not there,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.

“I know he would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that,” he said.

Also Read | Zelenskyy hopes for ceasefire with Russia, challenges Putin to meet him in Turkiye ‘personally’

Mr. Trump, however, noted that he was already scheduled to be in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, on the third and final leg of his Gulf tour.

But, when asked about visiting Turkey, he added: “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already set to travel to Istanbul on Friday. “Marco is going and Marco has been very effective,” Mr. Trump said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Putin to show up in Turkiye this week for a face-to-face meeting, warning that a no-show would indicate Moscow’s unwillingness to seek peace.

Mr. Putin himself has called for negotiations, but Russia has declined to confirm whether he would participate.

Mr. Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war immediately on taking office and had put heavy pressure on Mr. Zelenskyy, but has more recently voiced frustration after Russia snubbed an offer for an initial 30-day ceasefire.