‘Starting to doubt…’: Trump says Ukraine may not make deal with Putin in Turkey
Hours after Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to meet Vladimir Putin in Turkey, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was “starting to doubt” that Ukraine will reach a ceasefire deal with Russia. This will be the first meeting of the leaders of the two countries since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Donald Trump has been pressing Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace deal.(Reuters file photo)
Donald Trump, who has been pressing both sides to strike a peace deal to end the protracted war, wrote on Truth Social that Putin doesn’t want to end the hostilities with Ukraine.
“I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH.”
“Truth said that meeting would mean the two parties, as well as European leaders and the US, would then be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible,” he added.
How was Putin-Zelensky meeting set up?
Shortly after Trump urged him to “immediately” accept the Russian leader’s offer to hold peace talks in Turkey, Zelensky said he is prepared to meet Putin.
Putin’s offer came after Ukraine’s major European allies warned Russia of new sanctions if it didn’t agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Trump supported the initiative, Germany’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
Putin, in a late-night address, didn’t acknowledge the ultimatum but proposed direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey this Thursday. This is the first time that Putin has made such an offer since the invasion.
Also read: Will Zelensky, Putin come face-to-face? Ukraine prez says ‘will be waiting on Thursday’
Ukraine’s allies spent Sunday stressing that there could be no further talks before Putin agrees to an unconditional ceasefire. However, they relented after Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Have the meeting, now”.
Within an hour, Zelensky said he was prepared to meet with Putin this week.
“I will be waiting for Putin in Turkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday on X.
With inputs from Reuters, ANI
