What Donald Trump says asked if Vladimir Putin will go to Turkey to the negotiations for the end of the war: “I would like to be there”

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he does not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin will be presented at the discussions on the Ukraine planned for Thursday in Turkey, Reuters reports.

“I would like to be there, and this is a possibility. I don't know if he would be there if I'm not there.” We will find out, “Trump told reporters traveling on Air Force One on the way to Qatar.

He said he could stop in Turkey, as part of his trip to the Middle East this week. The US president is currently in a four-day tour in which he will stop in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Saudi Arab Emirates.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on Thursday for possible peace discussions with Ukraine, but did not reveal who will be present from Moscow.

“The Russian side continues to prepare for negotiations,” Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, reporters, when he was asked about discussions and Zelenski's request for Putin to participate. “We will not comment for now.”

On Sunday, Putin proposed direct discussions with Ukraine and, after US President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodimir Zelenski, the leader of Kiev said he would work, but that Putin should also participate.

The proposal came after the great European powers, with the support of US President Donald Trump, asked the Russian leader on Saturday to accept an “unconditional” cessation in Ukraine for at least 30 days, starting Monday, May 12.

Subsequently, Donald Trump was urging Zelenski to accept the Kremlin leader's proposal. “President Putin of Russia does not want to have a cease to cease with Ukraine, but rather he wants to meet in Turkey on Thursday to negotiate a possible cessation of the blood bath. Ukraine should agree with this,” Trump wrote in a message posted on Sunday. “Meet yourself, now !!!”, he added.

Shortly after the message of the US President, Zelenski announced, in an X message, that he accepts direct negotiations with Russia and that he will personally go to talk to Moscow in Istanbul, even if his request and European leaders were not accepted to be declared, starting Monday, a 30-day armistice.