The US president mentioned the possibility of taking part in the Moscow-proposed talks himself
US President Donald Trump has reiterated his hopes that direct talks between Moscow and Kiev as proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place and suggested he could even take part in them.
Trump delivered the remarks during a press conference on Monday, describing the proposed meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, as “very important.” He even floated the possibility that he might participate in the negotiations.
“I think you may have a good result at the Thursday meeting in Türkiye between Russia and Ukraine. I believe the two leaders are going to be there. I was thinking about flying over. I don’t know where I’m going to be on Thursday, I’ve got so many meetings, but I was thinking about actually flying over there,” Trump stated.
The suggestion was swiftly welcomed by Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky, who called it a “right idea” that could “change a lot.”
Early on Sunday, Putin proposed resuming direct peace negotiations with Kiev without any preconditions, stating that the talks could ultimately yield “some kind of new truce” and a ceasefire. “We are set on serious negotiations with Ukraine. Their aim is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and to achieve a long-term lasting peace for a historical perspective,” the president stressed.
The proposal received a mixed reaction from Kiev and its Western backers, all of whom reiterated their demand to establish a 30-day truce before beginning any negotiations. Trump, however, urged Kiev to “immediately” accept the proposal and engage in talks.
It was not immediately clear on what basis Trump concluded that the Russian and Ukrainian leaders would be meeting on Thursday. After Trump urged Ukraine to agree to the proposal, Zelensky claimed he would be waiting for Putin in Türkiye “personally” but reiterated the 30-day ceasefire demand.
On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow’s position that Russia remains committed to “resuming direct talks in Istanbul without any preconditions” but did not comment on the prospect of Putin participating in the talks.
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