Nothing will happen until Putin and I sit down together: Trump

 

US President Donald Trump visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh

Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, was on his side. May 15, 2025 

US President Donald Trump said that significant progress in the Ukraine peace talks is not possible without Russian President Vladimir Putin and himself sitting down together. He said this on his way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Qatar on Thursday.

On the way to the UAE on Air Force One, the US president's aircraft carrying him asked Trump, "Are you disappointed with the delegation that Russia sent to Turkey?"

In response, Trump said, "Look, nothing will happen until Putin and I sit down together, okay?"

The US president also said, "Obviously he (Putin) was not supposed to go there. He expressed interest in going, thinking I was going there (to Turkey) too.

‘He wasn’t going if I didn’t go. I don't think anything happens until we sit down together, whether you like it or not. But we have to resolve this. Because a lot of people are dying.’

Meanwhile, Turkish officials said that delegations from the United States, Russia, and Turkey arrived in Istanbul today. A meeting between the Russian and Turkish delegations is expected to take place today. But the meeting has not been finalized yet.

Russia launched an all-out assault on Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, this war has been going on for more than three years. Immediately after the Russian attack in 2022, representatives of the two sides held several direct meetings. They also held meetings in Turkey. At one point, this dialogue between them stopped.

Today, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “If the positions of the parties can be reconciled and trust can be built, it will be a very important step on the path to peace.” He said this after an informal NATO meeting in the Turkish city of Anatolia today.

Hakan Fidan said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently in Ankara. He is here to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Hakan Fidan said, “These visits prove that the necessary goodwill for peace is finally being shown.” He also commented that there is enough reason to be optimistic.

Earlier this week, Putin said that he was ready to meet directly with the Ukrainian leader. After initial hesitation, Zelensky also agreed to meet with the Russian leader.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a brief speech on the runway upon arriving at Esenboga Airport in Ankara, Turkey, today. There, he took a dig at the presence of the Russian delegation.

Zelensky said, "I don't know anything about the level of Russian representation officially. But from what I've heard, it seems like they're showing off." He said Ukraine is in regular contact with the US delegation regarding the talks.