Donald Trump will no longer join Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul as it looks like Russian president Vladimir Putin won’t be there himself.
A U.S. official spoke after Putin announced the Russian delegation for the talks, a list that did not include the Russian leader himself. Washington’s special envoy Keith Kellogg had previously said Mr Trump would join the leaders in Istanbul if Putin would be there.
“We’re hoping President Putin shows up as well, and then President Trump will be there. This could be an absolutely incredible meeting,” Mr Kellog said. “We can get peace, I really believe, pretty fast if all three leaders sit down and talk.”
Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, has said he will go to Istanbul only if Mr Putin does. “If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point [showing] that he does not want to end the war. Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies,” he said.
The Ukrainian president is due to meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
