Trump expresses readiness to participate in Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has again expressed a willingness to be detained in Turkey during his tour of the Middle East, if it would convince his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to participate in talks aimed at reaching a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow - to end the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will travel to Turkey on May 15 to meet face-to-face with Putin, after the latter called for direct talks - but without clarifying whether he will meet Zelensky in person.

However, with less than a day left until the date set for the meeting, Putin has not yet confirmed his attendance, while Zelensky has said that he will only meet with the Russian leader, not with a delegation of officials from Moscow.

Russian media have reported that the delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"I don't know if he [Putin] will be there if I'm not," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, flying from Saudi Arabia to Qatar on May 14.

"I know he would like me to be there, and there is a possibility that it will happen. If we can stop the war, I would take this seriously," he added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 14 that the offer for talks remains valid, but that the composition of the Russian delegation will only be known after Putin "gives the order".

"The Russian delegation will receive the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul," Peskov said.

Zelensky has a meeting planned in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but has said that, if Putin decides to come to Istanbul, they could meet there.

Independent Russian political scientist Natalia Shavsukova told Current Time television that Putin's real motivation is to meet Trump directly, which makes his trip to Turkey possible.

"Putin's only interest is a direct meeting with Trump... Ukraine has become an excuse for this meeting between the two leaders," Shavshukova said, adding that Putin currently does not seem interested in a peace agreement with Ukraine.

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, Andriy Yermak, stated that if Putin does not appear in Turkey on May 15, it will be a sign that "Moscow does not want peace and is not ready for serious negotiations."

"We don't trust Russia... But we want to end this conflict and we are ready to accept any form of negotiations," Yermak said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has already arrived in Antalya, Turkey, where NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will chair an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the military alliance.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also be in Turkey for this meeting, along with senior US envoys Steve Whitkoff and Keith Kellogg, who are expected to join the peace talks in Istanbul.

Earlier, on May 15, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Sybiha had asked his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he is ready to reach a peace agreement.

"I will try to talk to Putin," Lula said at a press conference during the visit to China, adding that he could stop in Moscow if necessary.

"It doesn't cost me anything to say: 'Hey, comrade Putin, go to Istanbul and negotiate,'" he said.

Last week, Trump demanded that Ukraine "immediately" start direct talks with Russia to end the war, bypassing Kiev's request for a ceasefire as a precondition for negotiations.

Trump had promised to end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House. But, this objective has remained unattainable since taking office on January 20. Meanwhile, Russia has launched numerous drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, as pressure for a ceasefire continues./REL