Trump and Putin needed for breakthrough in Ukraine peace talks, Rubio says
3 min read
Rubio says only Trump-Putin talks can unlock Ukraine peace, as low-level Istanbul negotiations face skepticism.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has cast doubt on the effectiveness of upcoming Ukraine-Russia peace talks set to take place in Turkey, stating that meaningful progress can only be achieved if former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin engage directly. Rubio’s comments came after a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting held in southern Turkey.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a breakthrough here until President Trump and President Putin interact directly on this topic,” Rubio said, adding that high-level dialogue was essential to any resolution in the ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Kyiv would send a delegation to Istanbul for the planned negotiations, while expressing frustration at the comparatively “low-level” representatives being dispatched by Moscow. In response, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who is heading the Kremlin’s team, defended their expertise, saying they possessed “all the necessary competencies.”
Trump, who is currently on a tour of the Middle East, echoed Rubio’s sentiment. Speaking aboard Air Force One, the former president said, “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together.” He added that the peace process was stalled because the Russian president was unwilling to fully engage in the absence of Trump.
“He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there,” Trump claimed. “Whether you like it or not, nothing’s going to happen until he and I get together. But we’ve got to solve it—too many people are dying.”
While Trump initially suggested he might attend the talks in Istanbul if “appropriate,” he later indicated a return to Washington was more likely.
The talks, originally scheduled for Thursday, were set to bring together delegations from Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., and Turkey. However, by Thursday evening, no exact time had been confirmed, and there were reports suggesting they may be pushed to Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had reportedly proposed direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 15 following calls from European leaders and Ukraine for a 30-day ceasefire. In response, Zelensky challenged Putin to meet him in person. However, on Thursday, the Kremlin clarified that Putin was not scheduled to attend.
After meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Zelensky criticized Moscow for its perceived lack of commitment. “No time of the meeting, no agenda, no high-level delegation—this is personal disrespect to Erdogan, to Trump,” Zelensky said, accusing Russia of undermining the seriousness of the process.
Medinsky, meanwhile, framed the current talks as a continuation of earlier efforts in 2022, which had broken down shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “The task of direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side is to sooner or later reach long-term peace by eliminating the root causes of the conflict,” he stated during a briefing in Istanbul.
The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and will include high-ranking officials from military intelligence, the general staff, and the foreign ministry. Russia’s delegation, led again by Medinsky, will include its deputy ministers of defense and foreign affairs, along with its head of military intelligence.
Despite the planned diplomatic efforts, heavy fighting continues in Ukraine. On Thursday, Russia claimed to have captured two additional villages in the eastern Donetsk region, further entrenching its control over the area.
Moscow now occupies roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
In a separate statement, UK Defence Minister John Healey, after a meeting with German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Berlin, urged Ukraine’s allies to maintain pressure on Moscow. “We must keep tightening sanctions to bring Putin to the negotiating table,” Healey said.
With the Istanbul talks marking the first face-to-face negotiations between the warring sides since 2022, expectations remain low. Core sticking points—including Ukraine’s neutrality, military reductions, and NATO ambitions—continue to divide the parties, with Kyiv rejecting them as unacceptable compromises on its sovereignty.
About The Author
