Zelensky says Trump’s presence at peace talks would prompt Putin to attend

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump joining peace talks with Russia in Turkey might give Vladimir Putin an ‘impetus’ to attend.
“We have invited President Trump to join us. I do not know the US president’s decision, but if he confirms his participation, I think it would give additional impetus for Putin to come,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv. The Kremlin has made no comment on whether Putin will travel to Turkiye himself or not.

President Trump offered to join the talks that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin suggested should be held directly with Ukraine after criticism of the Western “ultimatums” to end the conflict between the two nations.

Also Read | Trump gets ‘lavender’ carpet welcome to Saudi Arabia after F-15 escort

Trump said on Monday he was “thinking about actually flying over” to the Turkish city of Istanbul to attend the negotiations expected to take place on Thursday. The initiative was welcomed by Zelensky, but there was no reaction from Moscow.
“All of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkey. This is the right idea. We can change a lot,” Zelenskyy said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Trump publicly asked Zelensky to attend after Putin proposed the direct talks following a rejection of a 30-day ceasefire Ukraine and its Western allies insisted should come first.
The Ukrainian leader’s adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, reiterated that Zelensky would only meet Putin and no other members of the Russian delegation.

Also Read |PM Modi compares agility of India’s modern weapons to Maharana Pratap’s legendary horse Chetak

“We are committed to a serious search for ways of a long-term peaceful settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday but did not say whether Putin will travel to Turkiye.
If Zelensky and Putin happen to meet on Thursday, it would be their first face-to-face meeting since December 2019.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said its air defence units destroyed all 10 drones that Russia launched overnight on Tuesday.
Russia accused Ukraine of attacking its Belgorod region, with the governor Vyacheslav Gladkov saying on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces used 65 drones and more than 100 rounds of ammunition to attack his region in the past day.

Also Read |‘World saw the true face of Pak when its army officials attended funerals of terrorists’: PM Modi