Camilla Jessen
As peace efforts in Istanbul unfold without top-level Russian or American leadership, Trump confirms he’s heading back to Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on May 16 that he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”
Speaking to AP from Abu Dhabi as he concluded his Middle East tour, Trump said bluntly:
I think it’s time for us to just do it.
The comment comes amid growing pressure on Trump to take a more active role in breaking the deadlock over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Trump reiterated that he expects no real movement in the Istanbul negotiations until he and Putin sit down face-to-face.
Skipping Istanbul
While Trump previously hinted that he might attend the Istanbul peace talks, his current schedule confirms that he will skip the summit, where Ukrainian and Russian delegations are meeting with Turkish and U.S. officials.
His absence leaves the U.S. represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has expressed low expectations for the outcome, echoing Trump’s position that no breakthrough is likely without a top-level Putin-Trump meeting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has similarly declined to attend the talks in person, despite earlier Kremlin suggestions of a possible resumption in direct diplomacy.
Instead, Russia sent a team of deputy ministers and aides, a move Ukrainian officials have dismissed as “a sham.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had personally invited Putin to meet in Istanbul for a direct ceasefire discussion.
Moscow has rejected the request, with Kremlin officials insisting no serious talks can occur under pressure.