Trump's plan to join crucial Istanbul talks stirs global hopes
Following Donald Trump's announcement of his willingness to participate in potential Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, a series of intense diplomatic contacts commenced. Zelensky has expressed his readiness to meet with Putin, but the Kremlin remains silent. The US and EU are advocating for a 30-day ceasefire.
As reported by Reuters, American and European diplomats started intensive phone consultations on Monday, after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to join planned talks between Ukraine and Russia. These contacts aimed to develop a strategy for ending the war in Ukraine.
Will Trump travel to Turkey?
Trump's unexpected declaration that he will participate in the talks planned for Thursday in Istanbul came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would travel to Turkey and wait for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is another twist in the peace process, which has been sporadic for months.
In response to Trump's announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with his European counterparts, including the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom and France and the EU foreign affairs representative. According to the State Department, the discussion focused on "the road to a ceasefire" in Ukraine. According to official records, the consultations also involved the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Germany, and Poland.
Will a breakthrough meeting happen in Turkey?
Simultaneously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan. The topic was direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv, a proposal President Putin made over the weekend. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this information.
It is still unknown who from the Russian side would appear in Istanbul to participate in the potential talks – this would be the first direct dialogue between representatives of both sides since the early days of the war, which Russia initiated by invading Ukraine in February 2022.
The Kremlin has not yet responded to Zelensky's offer to meet with Putin or Trump's proposal to join the talks.
If such a meeting takes place, it will be the first direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin since December 2019. Both leaders do not hide their mutual hostility.
"Don't underestimate Thursday in Turkey," Trump said on Monday at the White House.
Russia does not want peace
Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European allies are attempting to pressure Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which was meant to start on Monday. Four key European leaders visited Kyiv on Saturday in a show of support for Zelensky.
Earlier that day, the German government announced that Europe would begin preparing to impose additional sanctions on Russia if the Kremlin does not start observing the ceasefire by the end of the day.
The Ukrainian armed forces reported on Monday that fighting in the east of the country continues with the same intensity.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin considered the Western and Ukrainian demands for a ceasefire an "ultimatum." The Kremlin stated on Monday that such language is unacceptable for Russia.
On Tuesday, Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, which is the upper house of the Russian parliament, spoke up. In a conversation with the newspaper "Izvestia," he stated that Moscow's talks with Kyiv could progress further than in 2022.
"If the Ukrainian delegation approaches these talks with a mandate to abandon any ultimatums and seek common ground, I am convinced that we can go even further than in 2022," Kosachev is quoted by "Izvestia."
