Trump Plans Putin Meeting Soon Following Turkey No-Show/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump says he’s moving to schedule a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the Kremlin leader skipped Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey. Trump emphasized urgency in resolving the war and hinted at a possible phone call soon. He warned that no resolution is likely without his and Putin’s involvement.
Trump Says Putin Meeting Near After Peace Talks Snub: Quick Looks
- President Trump plans to meet Vladimir Putin soon, following the Russian leader’s absence from peace talks.
- Putin skipped Friday’s Ukraine-Russia talks in Turkey, where Zelenskyy agreed to attend.
- Trump called the no-show predictable, saying progress won’t come without their direct meeting.
- “It’s time for us to just do it,” Trump said from Abu Dhabi before leaving the region.
- He hinted at calling Putin soon, as Air Force One departed for Washington.
- Trump emphasized the urgency of ending the war, noting weekly death tolls in the thousands.
- Zelenskyy has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, but Russia has yet to sign on.
- Trump suggested he’d skip family events to prioritize a Putin summit.
- Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul Friday, the first in three years.
- Observers expect little immediate progress, as key differences remain unresolved.
Trump Plans Putin Meeting Soon Following Turkey No-Show
Deep Look
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is working to arrange a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following Putin’s decision to skip high-stakes peace talks in Turkey aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking from Abu Dhabi as he concluded a four-day Middle East tour, Trump told reporters, “I think it’s time for us to just do it,” referring to a long-anticipated summit with Putin. Moments later, aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, Trump indicated he may soon place a call to the Russian president.
“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it — or maybe not,” Trump said. “At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”
Putin’s absence from the Istanbul peace talks was unsurprising to Trump, who suggested the Russian leader avoided the session because Trump himself wasn’t there.
“He didn’t go, and I understand that,” Trump said. “We’re going to get it done. We’ve got to get it done. Five thousand young people are being killed every single week on average.”
The Turkish-hosted meeting marked the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to participate, Russia sent only a lower-level delegation, drawing criticism from Kyiv and further dimming hopes of progress. Still, Trump has been urging both sides to find common ground swiftly, emphasizing that the only real momentum will come through a presidential-level meeting.
“I don’t believe anything’s going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together,” Trump told reporters on Thursday in reference to Putin. “But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.”
As the war enters its fourth year, U.S. and European diplomats have backed a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine has accepted the terms, but Russia has withheld its endorsement and continues targeting Ukrainian infrastructure. The Turkish-mediated negotiations in Istanbul are widely viewed as a preliminary step — but observers expect limited short-term impact unless broader political will emerges from Moscow.
Zelenskyy, for his part, has worked to present Ukraine as committed to peace, showing up in Turkey and publicly aligning with the U.S.-led diplomatic strategy. But progress hinges on whether Russia will engage seriously — and whether Trump can broker the kind of top-level engagement he insists is essential.
Trump also acknowledged the personal cost of his diplomatic mission, noting that his daughter Tiffany recently gave birth to his first grandson. “I would actually leave here and go,” he said. “But I do want to see my beautiful grandson.”
Despite personal milestones and political risks, Trump appears determined to accelerate peace efforts by forcing direct engagement with Putin. Whether that meeting materializes — and whether it alters the course of the war — remains uncertain, but the message is clear: Trump wants to take center stage in ending Europe’s deadliest conflict in generations.
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