Talks Ukraine-Russia. Trump: Maybe I will fly to Turkey

US President Donald Trump said he was thinking about departure to Turkey for Russian-Ukrainian conversations on Thursday. He suggested that Vladimir Putin would also be present in Istanbul, and announced that he would succeed there if he “proves to be helpful.”

“I insisted that this meeting would happen and it would happen, and I think we can have a good result from the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine. And I think that both leaders are to be there” – said Trump during a press conference before departure to Saudi Arabia. “I was thinking about arrival. I don't know where I would be on Thursday. I have so many meetings, but I was thinking about flying there. There is such a possibility” – he added.

Asked if he was willing to impose additional sanctions against Russia, if Vladimir Putin would not come to talks with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Putin, Trump did not answer directly, again indicating that he insisted on the meeting of leaders.

“They couldn't meet because one said: +Suspension of weapons +. Another said: +no suspension of weapons +, and it went back and back. So I said: +Listen, at this point we have to stop it. Just go to the meeting +” – said the president. “The meeting was established. Go to the meeting on Thursday (…) I don't know where I will be at this particular moment, I will be somewhere in the Middle East, but I would fly there if I thought it would help” – he added.

Asked if he would realize his threat from Saturday, when, together with European leaders, he threatened Russia by applying subsequent sanctions, if Moscow did not agree to the suspension of weapons, Trump only replied that “he has a feeling that they would agree.”

On Saturday, Vladimir Putin rejected the proposal of an unconditional 30-day ceasefire contained in a joint statement of the leaders of Ukraine, USA, Poland, Germany, France and Great Britain, instead proposing to start direct conversations on Thursday in Istanbul. Trump – contrary to the rest of the leaders who pressed on the prior suspension of the fighting – called President Zelnski to participate in conversations on Sunday.

He soon stated that he expected Russia to agree to a total and permanent suspension of weapons in the war against his state from Monday, and declared that on Thursday he would personally wait for the Russian leader in Turkey.

Vice-chairman of the Federation Council, Konstantin Kosaczov, the High Chamber of Russian Parliament, on Monday expressed the belief that talks in Istanbul should take place at expert and technical level.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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