Trump declines Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, downplays Putin’s absence

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would skip Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul and downplayed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision not to attend. 

The president had pressed for Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet in Istanbul. But speaking at a business roundtable with executives in Doha as part of a four-day tour of the region, Trump said he wasn’t going because of scheduling conflicts. 

“I actually said, why would he go if I’m not going?” Trump said when asked by a reporter if he was disappointed by Putin’s decision not to attend the peace talks. “I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there.”

Trump earlier this week floated the idea of potentially attending himself. But he noted during the business roundtable that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was already in Istanbul for meetings with NATO counterparts. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, also plans to be in Istanbul on Friday for the anticipated Russia-Ukraine talks.

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The push for direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin comes amid a flurry of negotiations aimed at producing a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

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Putin was the first to propose restarting direct peace talks Thursday with Ukraine in the Turkish city that straddles Asia and Europe. Zelenskyy challenged the Kremlin leader to meet in Turkey in person.

But the Kremlin has said its delegation at the talks will be led by Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, and include three other officials. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Zelenskyy will only sit down with the Russian leader.

Speaking in Doha, Trump said the Russia-Ukraine war “has to stop.” The president lamented the lives lost and money spent on the war effort.

“We spent $350 billion there – just handed. Nobody even knows where the money is. There’s no accounting. There’s no one. It’s just give him money,” Trump said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.   

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“I have to hand it to him. I think he’s the greatest salesman, maybe in history. Every time he came to the United States, he’d walk away with $100 billion. That’s a good salesman, right?” Trump said. “Last time he didn’t do as well. He only got $60 billion.” 

Zelenskyy last visited the White House in February, but tensions quickly broke out with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The two leaders last met on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral last month. 

Later Thursday, Trump will visit a U.S. installation in Qatar at the center of American involvement in the Middle East. He has used his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the “interventionism” of America’s past in the region.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.