Trump Opts Out of Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, Praises Zelenskyy’s Salesmanship

May 16, 2025 by No Comments

President Trump announced Thursday he will not attend the Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, also dismissing the significance of Vladimir Putin’s absence.

Despite having pushed for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy in Istanbul, Trump cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for his own absence during a business roundtable in Doha, part of his four-day regional tour.

“Why would [Putin] go if I’m not going?” Trump remarked, responding to a reporter’s inquiry about Putin’s decision. “I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there.”

Trump had earlier considered attending. He noted Zelenskyy’s presence in Istanbul for NATO meetings and that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would also be present for the Russia-Ukraine talks on Friday.

The push for direct talks occurs amidst ongoing negotiations seeking a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Putin initially proposed resuming direct peace talks in Istanbul. Zelenskyy then challenged Putin to meet in person in Turkey.

The Kremlin stated that Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, would lead the Russian delegation with three other officials. Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, said Zelenskyy would only meet with Putin himself.

Speaking in Doha, Trump emphasized the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war, lamenting the loss of life and financial expenditure.

“We spent $350 billion there – just handed [to Zelenskyy]. Nobody even knows where the money is. There’s no accounting. There’s no one. It’s just give him money,” Trump said.

“I have to hand it to him. I think he’s the greatest salesman, maybe in history… Every time he came to the United States, he’d walk away with $100 billion… Last time he didn’t do as well. He only got $60 billion.”

Zelenskyy’s last White House visit was in February, followed by tensions with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The two leaders last met on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral last month.

Trump will later visit a U.S. installation in Qatar, a key hub for American involvement in the Middle East, continuing to express his rejection of past American “interventionism” during his Gulf states tour.

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