Trump Will Not Attend Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, Praises Zelenskyy as Possibly the Greatest Salesman in History

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will not be attending the much-anticipated Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, citing scheduling conflicts, and downplayed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to skip the summit as well.

Speaking at a business roundtable with regional executives in Doha during a four-day diplomatic tour of the Middle East, Trump told reporters he had previously encouraged both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet in Turkey. However, he now plans to remain absent from the meetings.

“I actually said, why would he go if I’m not going?” Trump remarked when asked about Putin’s absence from the talks. “I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there.”

Earlier in the week, Trump had floated the possibility of attending the negotiations himself but revealed Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already in Istanbul for critical discussions with NATO allies. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to represent the administration at Friday’s session in Istanbul instead.

The renewed push for direct dialogue between Zelenskyy and Putin comes amid intensified international efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement and halt ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.

• Putin was first to suggest restarting one-on-one negotiations with Ukraine, proposing Istanbul as the venue.
• Zelenskyy publicly challenged Putin to meet in person, insisting on direct presidential talks.

The Kremlin has since confirmed that its delegation to Istanbul will be headed by Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, accompanied by three other officials. Meanwhile, Ukrainian adviser Mykhailo Podolyak reiterated that President Zelenskyy remains open only to meeting directly with the Russian leader.

From Doha, President Trump underscored the urgency of ending the conflict. “The Russia-Ukraine war has to stop,” he said, lamenting both the tragic loss of life and the staggering financial toll.

“We spent $350 billion there – just handed. Nobody even knows where the money is. There’s no accounting. There’s no one. It’s just give him money,” Trump said, referring to the extensive U.S. aid provided to Ukraine under Zelenskyy. He further commented, “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. That’s a good salesman, right? Last time he didn’t do as well. He only got $60 billion.”

The relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy remains tense. Following Zelenskyy’s last visit to the White House in February, frictions reportedly emerged with both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The two leaders most recently crossed paths at Pope Francis’ funeral last month.

Trump’s itinerary in the Gulf continues Thursday with a visit to a U.S. military facility in Qatar, a centerpiece of American involvement in the region. Throughout his tour, Trump has stressed a shift away from what he described as the interventionist policies of past U.S. administrations in the Middle East.