Trump to not attend Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul

US President Donald Trump has no intention of traveling to Türkiye for the upcoming Russia-Ukraine negotiations, an American official told Reuters in an interview.

President Trump had previously suggested he might attend the talks in Istanbul, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he would attend, but only if Russian President Vladimir Putin was also present.

However, it seems Putin has rejected this offer, as his name is not on the list of delegates heading to Türkiye.

Talks in Istanbul

After the unilateral ceasefire declared by Vladimir Putin from May 8 to 11, Ukraine and the leaders of the "Coalition of the Willing" demanded that Moscow implement a 30-day quiet period starting May 12. If refused, EU countries threatened Russia with new sanctions.

But Putin rejected this idea and proposed holding peace talks in Istanbul on May 15. Turkey supported the idea and agreed to play the role of mediator.

President Zelenskyy agreed to visit Istanbul to avoid offending President Trump.

Earlier, Trump had not ruled out attending the talks in person. However, the latest information indicates that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will represent the US in the negotiations.

Zelenskyy will analyze the composition of the Russian delegation to prepare for the dialogue.