Trump concludes Middle East tour, plans meeting with Putin
Donald Trump has wrapped up his trip to the Middle East and is heading back to the USA. The U.S. President announced that he would meet with Vladimir Putin as soon as it can be arranged.
Main information
- Donald Trump has finished his visit to the Middle East.
- The U.S. President will not take part in talks in Turkey.
- A meeting with Vladimir Putin is planned, but no date has been set yet.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced in Abu Dhabi that he is ending his trip to the Middle East and returning to the United States. Earlier, there was speculation he might travel to Turkey to participate in Ukrainian-Russian peace talks. However, this did not happen. Now Trump has announced that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as it can be organized.
Trump commented on the ongoing talks in Istanbul, stating that "we will see what happens" regarding Russia and Ukraine.
On Friday, talks began in Istanbul with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Ukraine, and the USA. The meeting includes Hakan Fidan, Andriy Sibihy, and Marco Rubio. The negotiations are aimed at discussing the situation between Ukraine and Russia.
Criticism of the Russian delegation's composition
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the composition of the Russian delegation, emphasizing that only a direct conversation between Trump and Putin could bring a breakthrough in the talks.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte voiced similar criticism, stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin made a significant mistake by sending a low-level delegation to Istanbul for negotiations with Ukraine.
The Secretary remarked that all the pressure is now on Putin, as he has found himself in a difficult position. Rutte emphasized that Ukraine had sent a delegation to Turkey with the authority to negotiate a ceasefire, whereas Russia had not done the same.
