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Trump says ready to come to Istanbul on May 16 for talks on Ukraine

According to the US leader, it is still unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would travel to Turkey to take part in the talks

DOHA, May 15. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said that, if necessary, he is ready to come to Istanbul on May 16, where the first direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine since 2022 are planned to take place there today.

"We think we are going to do well with Russia and Ukraine. Five thousand soldiers are being killed every single week on average. <…> We are going to see if we can end that. I was thinking about going, but it’s very tough because of what we are doing today and tomorrow. But if something happens, I will go in on Friday if it is appropriate. But we have people right now negotiating," Trump said at a meeting with US and Qatari business leaders in Doha.

According to the US leader, it is still unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would travel to Turkey to take part in the talks.

Russia’s delegation to the talks will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. It also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.

On May 11, Vladimir Putin, speaking to reporters in the Kremlin, suggested that the Kiev authorities resume without preconditions the direct talks Ukraine broke off in 2022, proposing to launch a dialogue on May 15 in Istanbul. In turn, Vladimir Zelensky said that he would arrive in Istanbul on Thursday. His statement came after US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to immediately agree to the talks proposed by the Russian leader. Earlier, Zelensky had conditioned talks with Moscow on the introduction of a month-long ceasefire.

A White House official said on May 13 that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg would travel to Istanbul.

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