ISTANBUL: US Senator Marco Rubio stated that a significant breakthrough in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is unlikely without a direct meeting between former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters after a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in southern Turkey, Rubio expressed skepticism about the current peace talks in Istanbul. “I don’t think we’re going to have a breakthrough here until President Trump and President Putin interact directly on this topic,” he said.
Shortly before, Trump conveyed a similar view during an interview aboard Air Force One with the BBC, saying, “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together… too many people are dying.”
Though Trump initially showed willingness to attend Friday’s session in Istanbul “if appropriate,” he later suggested he might return to Washington, leaving his participation uncertain.
Ukraine confirmed a high-level delegation led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov will participate, while Russia’s delegation, headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, faced criticism for lacking senior officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow’s move as “disrespectful” to both Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reiterating his call for direct talks with Putin.
These Istanbul negotiations mark the first direct discussions since 2022. Moscow aims to resume talks from where they paused, demanding Ukrainian neutrality and abandonment of NATO ambitions — positions Kyiv continues to reject.
Meanwhile, heavy fighting persists in eastern Donetsk. The UK and Germany have called for intensified sanctions on Russia to pressure Moscow into meaningful peace negotiations.