Thursday, May 15, 2025 - U.S. President, Donald Trump has addressed Vladimir Putin's absence from peace talks Ukraine in Turkey, stating that he did not expect the Russian President to attend the meeting unless he (Trump) was present.
Speaking at a business roundtable in
Qatar during a Middle East trip, Trump remarked, “I didn’t think it was
possible for Putin to go if I’m not there.”
Trump had previously floated the idea of
attending the proposed talks if Putin agreed to participate. However, on
Thursday, he appeared to backtrack, saying, “I actually said, why would he go
if I’m not going? Because I wasn’t going to go. I wasn’t planning to go. I
would go, but I wasn’t planning to go. And I said, I don’t think he’s going to
go if I don’t go.”
The remarks come amid ongoing
international efforts to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began
in February 2022 when Russian forces invaded Ukrainian territory. The conflict
has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, widespread destruction, and a
massive humanitarian crisis.
Trump’s statements follow recent signals
from President Vladimir Putin indicating that Russia may be open to renewed
peace talks with Ukraine, provided certain conditions are met. According to
Kremlin sources and public statements, Putin has suggested Turkey — a NATO
member that has maintained relations with both Kyiv and Moscow — as a potential
venue for such negotiations.
Putin’s suggestion aligns with previous
efforts by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who hosted early rounds of
talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in 2022. Though those talks
ultimately broke down, Erdoğan continues to advocate for Turkey’s role as a
mediator in the conflict.
Despite Putin’s stated openness to
dialogue, Ukraine and its allies remain skeptical of Russia’s intentions,
particularly in light of ongoing hostilities and Moscow’s insistence on
retaining occupied Ukrainian territories.
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