Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed that Ankara is working to organize a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump joining the talks. This proposal emerged after a recent meeting between Erdogan and Trump during the NATO summit, where Trump indicated an interest in participating if the discussions were to take place in Turkey. Erdogan emphasized that the goal is to hold necessary contacts and, if possible, realize the meeting as soon as possible.
This initiative follows the June 25 meeting between Zelensky and Trump at the NATO summit, where they discussed battlefield developments and Kyiv’s need for additional air defense systems. Zelensky has previously shown openness to a trilateral meeting, expressing willingness to sit down with both Trump and Putin. However, despite this openness, Putin has not yet attended previous talks, opting instead to send lower-level delegates to peace discussions held in May. The Kremlin has also maintained that any talks must consider the ‘legal aspects’ of Zelensky’s mandate, as stated by spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in February.
Turkey, which has remained a key mediator in the conflict, previously hosted direct peace talks in March 2022. The latest round of talks in Istanbul on June 2 underscores Turkey’s continued role in facilitating discussions between Kyiv and Moscow. The potential involvement of Trump highlights the complex diplomatic landscape and the possibility of a new approach to resolve ongoing tensions. While the meeting remains speculative, the prospect of a trilateral dialogue has raised hopes for a potential resolution to the conflict, although it also brings new challenges and uncertainties to the negotiations.