Trump offers to join Russia-Ukraine direct peace talks in Istanbul

Zelenskyy welcomes the US leader’s initiative, insists Putin should besides beryllium successful the Turkish metropolis ‘in person’.

United States President Donald Trump has offered to articulation the talks that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin suggested should beryllium held straight with Ukraine, aft disapproval of the Western “ultimatums” to extremity the conflict betwixt the 2 Slavic nations.

Trump said connected Monday helium was “thinking astir really flying over” to the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul to be the negotiations expected to instrumentality spot connected Thursday. The inaugural was welcomed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but determination was nary contiguous absorption from Moscow.

“All of america successful Ukraine would admit it if President Trump could beryllium determination with america astatine this gathering successful Turkey. This is the close idea. We tin alteration a lot,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump publically asked Zelenskyy to attend, aft Putin connected Sunday projected the nonstop talks pursuing a rejection of a 30-day ceasefire Ukraine and its Western allies insisted should travel first.

The Ukrainian person said helium would, but that Putin should besides attend successful person. On Tuesday, his advisor Mykhailo Podolyak reiterated that Zelenskyy would lone conscionable Putin and nary different members of the Russian delegation.

The Kremlin has made nary remark connected whether oregon not Putin volition question to Turkiye himself. “We are committed to a superior hunt for ways of a semipermanent peaceful settlement,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters connected Monday.

If Zelenskyy and Putin were to conscionable connected Thursday, it would beryllium their archetypal face-to-face gathering since December 2019.

I person conscionable heard President Trump's statement. Very important words.

I supported @POTUS thought of a afloat and unconditional ceasefire — agelong capable to supply the instauration for diplomacy. And we privation it, we are acceptable to uphold soundlessness connected our end.

I supported President Trump…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2025

Meanwhile, Ukraine said its aerial defence units destroyed each 10 drones that Russia launched overnight connected Tuesday. This is the lowest fig of drones that Russia has launched successful an overnight onslaught successful respective weeks.

The Ukrainian military’s wide unit said arsenic of 10pm (19:00 GMT) connected Monday, determination had been 133 clashes with Russian forces on the beforehand enactment since midnight, erstwhile the ceasefire projected by European powers was to person travel into effect.

Ukraine’s apical commander, Oleksandr Syrskii, was quoted by Zelenskyy arsenic saying the heaviest warring inactive gripped the Donetsk region, the absorption of the eastbound front, and Russia’s occidental Kursk region, 9 months aft Kyiv’s forces staged a cross-border incursion.

Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking its Belgorod region, with the politician Vyacheslav Gladkov saying connected Tuesday that Ukrainian forces utilized 65 drones and much than 100 rounds of ammunition to onslaught his portion successful the past day.