Trump says Ukraine peace talks will not move forward until he meets Putin

May 16, 2025 - 02:02

US President Donald Trump has said there will be no progress in peace talks on Ukraine until he personally meets with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: Reuters; the White House press service

Details: Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One shortly before landing in Dubai – the third stop on his Middle East tour – Trump said he "knows nothing" about the meeting in Türkiye or the composition of the Russian delegation.

However, he emphasised that no progress could be expected unless he has a face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader.

Quote: "Nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together."

Background:

On 14 May, Putin approved the composition of the Russian delegation for talks with Ukraine in Türkiye on 15 May. Putin himself is not on the list.
Earlier media reports had indicated that Trump would not travel to Türkiye either, although he had previously said he was "considering" visiting if Putin attended.
Later, Trump said he was willing to go to Istanbul on Friday 16 May to join in the talks.
On 15 May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Türkiye for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Kremlin representatives. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had come to the negotiations with a high-level delegation, but the news from Moscow about the Russian delegation suggested that Russia was preparing for talks on a "more decorative than substantive level".
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin would not be travelling to Istanbul for negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Putin had missed an opportunity to start negotiating peace in Istanbul – talks for which President Zelenskyy was ready – and sent a low-level delegation instead.