Trump may visit Turkey Thursday for Erdogan’s Russia-Ukraine talks
The US president floated the idea of traveling to Turkey on Thursday for a potential meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
WASHINGTON/ANKARA — US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he might travel to Turkey on Thursday for a potential meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I was thinking about flying over. I don’t know where I’m going to be on Thursday. I’ve got so many meetings, but I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it,” Trump told journalists at the White House on Monday.
“Don’t underestimate Thursday and Turkey. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is going to be a great host,” Trump said.
The US president also took credit for the Ukraine-Russia summit.
“You have the potential for a good meeting. That meeting wasn’t going to take place. I insisted that the meeting take place, and it is taking place,” he added.
Trump added that he expects that both Zelenskyy and Putin will be there. Putin has not confirmed his attendance yet.
On Monday, Erdogan held a phone call with Zelenskyy to discuss the ceasefire proposal while praising Trump’s diplomatic push.
“We support my esteemed friend Trump’s efforts to resolve hot conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy,” Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting.
“With the latest contacts, I see that a new window of opportunity has opened,” he added.
After Putin floated the idea of a meeting with Zelenskyy in Istanbul over the weekend, the Ukrainian leader announced he would be in Istanbul on Thursday. The news followed a May 5 phone conversation between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Trump in which they discussed the Russia-Ukraine war.
Yet, speaking earlier Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stopped short of confirming the meeting would take place.
“The Ukrainians say 'ceasefire first, then negotiations,' while the Russians say 'negotiations first, then ceasefire.' That's where things currently stand — it's at a deadlock," Fidan said.
But he struck an optimistic tone. “I believe the parties will come together around a compromise in the coming days,” Fidan added.
Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also travel to Turkey’s Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya on Wednesday to attend the NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting.
Trump departed for Saudi Arabia on Monday for a three-stop trip during which he will visit the kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
