Trump visit to Istanbul 'largely be dictated' by whether Putin attends – CNN
Top US administration officials are planning to arrive in Turkey this week to participate in possible Ukraine-Russia talks on May 15, but President Donald Trump's attendance will "largely be dictated" by whether Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is present, CNN reported, citing an unnamed senior US administration official.
"Things are very dynamic right now," the source said, adding that "nobody knows much" about a possible meeting on Thursday.
According to the source, the possibility of Trump joining the meeting "puts a lot of pressure on Putin."
The source also confirmed that, regardless of the US president's presence, Trump's special envoys Keith Kellogg and Steve Witkoff plan to attend the talks in Istanbul. Another CNN source also confirmed their participation: these officials are currently planning to observe possible negotiations between Ukrainians and Russians mediated by Turkey.
The participation of Witkoff and Kellogg was previously reported by Reuters sources.
On May 12, the US president admitted that he may visit Turkey on May 15. Trump also believes that negotiations could lead to a halt to hostilities. The head of Ukraine said that he would like to see his American counterpart in Istanbul.
Putin has not yet confirmed his participation in the talks in Istanbul, Russia has not yet directly responded to Zelenskyy's offer to meet the dictator in person, and the aggressor country has still not agreed to a ceasefire.
- Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that the names of Russia's representatives at the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul will be announced only when the Russian dictator himself "deems it necessary."
