Former President Donald Trump made headlines Thursday after throwing cold water on the latest peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, saying the real breakthrough won’t happen until he sits down with Vladimir Putin himself.
“Look, nothing’s gonna happen until Putin and I get together, okay?” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to the United Arab Emirates. “He wasn’t gonna go [to Turkey] unless I was going. And I wasn’t. So, he didn’t. That’s just how it is. Like it or not, that meeting has to happen. Too many people are dying.”
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Trump’s remarks came just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touched down in Turkey for high-stakes negotiations aimed at finding a way out of the ongoing war with Russia. Zelensky arrived with top officials, including his defense and foreign ministers, in what many saw as a strong show of commitment to peace.
But there was one big problem: Russia sent a low-level delegation. Putin was a no-show.
Ukrainian officials weren’t exactly impressed. One diplomat, speaking anonymously to Politico, summed it up this way: “The Russian chair in Turkey is de facto empty. Putin didn’t show, and the people he sent don’t make real decisions. Either he’s afraid to come or he’s not taking this seriously.”
Ukraine’s team is still considering whether to fully engage with the Russian reps at the table, but there’s clear frustration in the air.
“If these people are just placeholders, then what’s the point?” the official added. “We’re here to talk peace, not play games.”
Trump’s comments add a dramatic twist to an already tense scene. Whether or not he actually meets with Putin remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: hopes for immediate progress in Turkey are fading fast.
