Trump may join Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey, Zelensky awaits Putin’s response

Trump mulls joining Ukraine talks in Turkey, Kremlin silent on Putin

US President Donald Trump has signaled he may fly to Turkey for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said, "I've got so many meetings, but I was thinking about actually flying over there... Don't underestimate Thursday in Turkey."

Following President Donald Trump's expression of interest in attending potential Ukraine-Russia talks later this week, U.S. and European diplomats initiated a flurry of urgent phone calls, according to a Reuters report.

A day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his attendance, expressing hope that Trump would also participate and reiterating his readiness for “direct and substantive negotiations with Putin.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to host the meeting in Istanbul and urged both sides to seize this “window of opportunity” to work toward a settlement.

Kremlin response unclear

While President Vladimir Putin proposed the talks as a counter to a 30-day ceasefire plan backed by Kyiv and its allies, the Kremlin has not confirmed who will represent Russia. The upcoming meeting, scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul, would be the first direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early stages of the war in 2022.

Zelensky: 'Strange Silence' from Moscow

In his nightly video address, Zelensky noted that Russian attacks continued on the front lines and said Moscow had not responded to his proposal for a direct meeting with Putin. “Russian shelling and assaults continue,” he said. “Moscow has remained silent all day regarding the proposal for a direct meeting. A very strange silence.”

(With agency inputs)