Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X that he hopes Trump will participate in direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey this week during his trip to the Middle East.
“I supported President Trump with the idea of direct talks with Putin,” Zelenskyy said. “I have openly expressed my readiness to meet. I will be in Türkiye. I hope that the Russians will not evade the meeting.”
“And of course, all of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Türkiye. This is the right idea. We can change a lot,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could host such a high-level meeting.
Zelenskyy said he heard Trump say at the White House this morning that he was considering attending the meeting in Turkey on Thursday as part of the first international trip of his second term.
Trump said he thinks that Zelenskyy and potentially Russian President Vladimir Putin will be there.
“I’ll be someplace in the Middle East, but I would fly there if I thought it would be helpful,” Trump said.
Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during the trip.