By Ryan Morgan
Contributing Writer
President Donald Trump may travel to Turkey this week to help mediate a round of peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin pitched the idea of Russian and Ukrainian representatives meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday for a round of direct talks to end more than three years of fighting between their two countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded the following day, signaling a willingness to support the talks.
Zelenskyy has said that he would even attend the talks personally if Putin did the same, setting the stage for a possible leader-level discussion.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, amid his ongoing Middle East tour, Trump said Putin wants him to attend the meeting in Turkey.
Still, Trump noted that many details of the meeting are still undecided, as of the publication of this story.
“I don’t know if he’s showing up. I know he would like me to be there. And that’s a possibility,” Trump said.
His current travel schedule may make a stopover in Turkey challenging.
“We’re going to [the United Arab Emirates] tomorrow. So we have a very full situation,” Trump told reporters. “Now, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives and come back.”
He noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit Turkey this week.
“Marco’s going and Marco’s been very effective,” Trump said.
At the same time, he said he’s unsure whether Putin would attend the talks in Turkey if he doesn’t also attend.
On Wednesday, the Kremlin announced that a Russian delegation would be in Istanbul on Thursday for possible talks with Ukrainian counterparts.
Still, the Kremlin declined to specify who would represent the Russian side at the talks.
Russia unilaterally declared a three-day cease-fire from May 8 through Saturday to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the day Nazi Germany was defeated during World War II, known in Russia as “Victory Day.”
Ukraine had rejected the 72-hour Russian-declared cease-fire and accused Russia of continuing hostilities.
Nevertheless, Zelenskyy called for Putin to accept a 30-day U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal and to extend its self-declared Victory Day cease-fire through his requested Thursday talks in Turkey.
Ukraine awaits a “full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said in a Sunday statement responding to Putin’s call for talks.
Jacob Burg and Reuters contributed to this report.
