President Donald Trump kept the door open to showing up to the Russia-Ukraine negotiations that are expected to happen in Turkey on Thursday. 

‘I was considering attending, but it’s challenging due to our current commitments today and tomorrow. However, if the situation changes, I might go on Friday if it’s deemed appropriate,’ Trump commented.

The peace talks’ progress remains uncertain. Russian President Vladimir Putin opted not to participate, sending aides and deputy ministers in his place. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is traveling to Turkey but stated he wouldn’t take part in the talks unless Putin was present.

Trump – who has said Putin should make the trip – urged the leaders to come to a peace deal. 

‘We we have people right now negotiating, I just hope Russia and Ukraine are able to do something. It has to stop,’ he said.

President Donald Trump said he is open to attending the Russian-Ukraine peace talks in Turkey

Zelensky said he would discuss next steps with the president of Turkey.

‘I have yet to receive official confirmation regarding the level of Russian presence. From our perspective, it seems theatrical. We will decide our subsequent actions following the discussion with President Erdoğan,’ he posted on social media shortly after landing in Istanbul.

‘We will have several hours for an important discussion and very important decisions. It is essential to understand the level of the Russian delegation, what mandate they hold, and whether they are authorised to make any decisions at all – because we all know who actually makes decisions in Russia.’

The president is in Doha, Qatar, the second stop of his three-country tour of the Middle East. 

He attended a business roundtable in Doha Thursday morning and then headed to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to address an audience of U.S. troops. 

The president is slated to fly from the air base to the United Arab Emirates for his third and final state visit and dinner of the trip. 

He’s due to fly back to Washington, D.C. mid-day Friday – though could divert Air Force One and head to Turkey instead.   

The United States has a delegation in Istanbul, which includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio – who was on hand for a portion of Trump’s Middle East swing – and envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.

Russia planned to send presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, Reuters reported.  

Trump has demanded that Russia and Ukraine agree to a 30-day ceasefire. 

Zelensky was on board with a ceasefire, though Putin was resistant, saying he wanted the talks to start first, so ceasefire terms could be negotiated. 

The Ukrainian president, who is scheduled to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday, had said earlier this week he was not prepared to talk to anyone on the Russian side except Putin, and goaded the Kremlin leader by questioning if he was brave enough to show up.

The Kremlin says Putin – who is also under threat of an additional tightening of European sanctions to ‘suffocate’ Russia’s economy – does not respond to ultimatums.

The two sides last held face-to-face talks – also in Istanbul – in March 2022, only weeks after Putin sent his army into Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a delegation to the peace talks in Turkey instead of attending himself

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he won’t attend the peace talks unless Putin is there

For the past week, Trump has been mulling going to Turkey himself and said he was worried Putin wouldn’t show up if he didn’t attend.

‘I don’t know if he’s showing up. I know he would like me to be there. And that’s a possibility,’ the president told reporters on Air Force One Wednesday as he traveled from Saudi Arabia to Doha.

‘I’ve been thinking about that. Now tomorrow, we’re all booked out, you understand that. We’re going to UAE tomorrow. So we have a very full situation. Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives and come back. But yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there.’

The president has shown increased impatience with Putin and has been frustrated no peace deal is at hand.