Russia

Trump Weighs In on Peace Process: “Maybe I’ll Go to Istanbul”

The U.S. President hints at a personal visit—and sees an opportunity for political triumph.

L: President.az, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons TR: President.gov.ua, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons BR: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
L: President.az, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons TR: President.gov.ua, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons BR: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mikkel Preisler
By Mikkel Preisler 15. May 2025

Ukrainian and Russian representatives are meeting Thursday in Istanbul for their first direct peace talks since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

As the world holds its breath, an outside player grabs the spotlight: U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump Has High Hopes

Upon arriving in Qatar on Wednesday, Trump stated that he had “high hopes” for the upcoming negotiations. He even floated the idea of going to Istanbul himself if it could help bring peace closer. “If we can end the war, I’d consider it,” he said.

Trump Opens Door to Possible Involvement

While Trump hasn’t confirmed his participation, his remarks opened the door to a potentially dramatic move in an already complex negotiation process.

The U.S. delegation in Turkey includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with two experienced envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg. On Thursday, Rubio reiterated the message: “This war will not end militarily, but diplomatically.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy maintains that he will only meet with Vladimir Putin in person. “Everything in Russia depends on the president,” he said earlier this week.

But Putin has declined the invitation and is instead sending a delegation led by well-known Kremlin advisor Vladimir Medinsky.

Location of the Meeting Is No Coincidence

The choice of Istanbul as the meeting place is no coincidence. It was here that the so-called Istanbul Communiqué in March 2022 nearly paved the way for an agreement under which Ukraine would declare permanent neutrality in exchange for security guarantees.

As Zelenskyy travels to Ankara for talks with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Russian representatives take their seats at the negotiating table, the world watches to see whether Istanbul can once again live up to its reputation as a city of diplomacy—or if yet another attempt will end in disappointment.

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