Trump Considers Joining Istanbul Talks if Russia-Ukraine Progress Achieved

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he might still travel to Istanbul for the potential Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations on May 16 if progress is seen toward a deal, as reported by the BBC. Speaking during his official visit to Qatar on May 15, Trump emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict, stating, "We'd like to see (the war) end, and I think we have a chance of doing it."

Previously, Reuters reported that Trump would not attend the May 15 discussions while on his Middle East tour. Confirmed to participate in the talks on May 16 are U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Meanwhile, the Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, has already arrived in Istanbul. Medinsky, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had previously led the Russian negotiating group during talks at the start of the invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had invited Putin to attend direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 15, but the Russian leader declined, opting to send Medinsky instead.

Ukrainian officials, according to the Wall Street Journal, have clarified that they will only engage with the Russian delegation to discuss implementing and monitoring the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed earlier by Trump’s administration. The proposed ceasefire was initially agreed upon by Ukraine in March, but Russia has yet to endorse it.

Despite the ongoing talks, Kremlin-aligned media outlet RIA Novosti reports that no official statement has been made regarding the composition of Ukraine’s delegation for the talks. Meanwhile, Suspilne noted that discussions are expected to commence in the afternoon on May 15.

In a separate statement, Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, warned that if Putin refuses to attend the negotiations in Istanbul, it would signal Moscow’s unwillingness to pursue peace. He reiterated that Kyiv is ready for any format of negotiations, provided there is a complete ceasefire by Russian forces.

On the night before the talks, on May 14-15, Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on Ukraine, deploying 110 Shahed drones and other decoy UAVs. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted and destroyed 91 of them, according to military reports.