Trump Expresses Willingness to Meet Putin and Zelensky in Turkey to Push for Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire

Trump open to three-way peace summit with Putin and Zelensky in Turkey as Ukraine-Russia war enters critical phase.

In a significant diplomatic development, former U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated his openness to meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a bid to push forward peace talks and a potential ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The White House confirmed Trump's position after recent talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations failed to reach a comprehensive truce agreement.
The long-standing war, which has dragged on for over three years, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and led to widespread destruction across Eastern and Southern Ukraine. As the global community seeks solutions, Trump’s potential involvement signals renewed international pressure to end the bloodshed.

Delegates from Ukraine and Russia met in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday in their second round of direct negotiations this year. Although a full ceasefire remained elusive, both parties did reach a breakthrough agreement on a significant prisoner exchange and the repatriation of fallen soldiers.
The Turkish government, playing a mediating role, revealed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has proposed hosting a third round of talks, this time at the leaders’ level. Erdoğan has suggested that Trump join the discussions alongside Putin and Zelensky in either Istanbul or Ankara later this month.
While President Zelensky has publicly expressed his willingness to attend such a meeting, Russian President Putin has yet to agree. His stance remains rigid, as Moscow continues to set firm preconditions for any lasting truce.

Speaking in Washington, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt conveyed Trump’s openness to joining a high-level summit. According to Leavitt, Trump is “open to it [a three-way summit] if it comes to that, but he wants both of these leaders and both sides to come to the table together.”
Trump, who has repeatedly expressed the need for a swift resolution to the war, believes direct communication between all parties is essential. The former president’s potential involvement is seen as a strategic move that could pressure both Moscow and Kyiv to compromise on key issues.
Ukrainian President Zelensky echoed this sentiment, stating that his administration expects “strong steps” from Trump and urging him to support tighter sanctions on Russia to increase leverage during peace negotiations.

Despite the diplomatic overtures, Ukraine reported that Russia had declined its call for an unconditional ceasefire. Instead, Moscow offered a temporary pause in hostilities lasting two to three days in limited areas along the frontlines.
Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya criticized the Russian proposal, calling it insufficient and inadequate given the scale of the ongoing devastation.
According to Russian media, Moscow’s terms for a full ceasefire include a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four contested regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. These territories remain partially controlled by Russian forces and are central to the broader conflict.
In addition to territorial concessions, Russia is demanding guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO, limitations on Ukraine's military capabilities, and an end to Western military aid.  Tragedy Strikes as Russian Missiles Kill Children in Ukraine Amid Largest Air Assault and Prisoner Swap

One of the few positive outcomes from the Istanbul talks was the agreement on a large-scale prisoner swap. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky confirmed that the two sides agreed to exchange at least 1,000 prisoners each, including severely wounded soldiers and all captured fighters under the age of 25.
Ukraine also announced that the two sides had agreed to return the bodies of around 6,000 soldiers killed in battle.
While these developments are significant from a humanitarian standpoint, they do little to address the root causes of the war or create a path toward a lasting peace.

President Zelensky, speaking at a press conference in Vilnius alongside NATO leaders, emphasized that any future agreement must not "reward" Russia for its invasion. “The key to lasting peace is clear the aggressor must not receive any reward for war,” he said.

Zelensky reiterated his call for a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire covering all military activity on land, at sea, and in the air. He argued that only after hostilities have ceased can serious negotiations begin regarding the future of Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the recent Istanbul meeting as having a “constructive atmosphere.” The meeting was held at a luxury hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus, and Fidan noted that both sides had built on previously agreed points from their first meeting in May.

“The parties decided to continue preparations for a possible meeting at the leader level,” Fidan posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), adding that Turkey remains committed to facilitating peace talks between the warring sides.

While politicians negotiate, the human cost of the war continues to rise. In the front-line town of Dobropillya in eastern Ukraine, residents have lost hope.

“We thought that everything would stop. And now there is nothing to wait for. We have no home, nothing. We were almost killed by drones,” said 53-year-old Volodymyr, a local resident, in an interview with AFP.

The war has created Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II, with millions forced to flee their homes. Countless towns have been reduced to rubble, and the trauma of displacement continues to scar affected families.
Despite recent military setbacks, Ukraine launched a bold drone attack deep inside Russian territory on Sunday. Ukrainian forces reportedly managed to smuggle drones into Russia and target airbases used to house strategic bombers.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the attack damaged up to 40 long-range Russian bombers worth an estimated $7 billion, marking a significant psychological and operational blow to the Russian military.
This high-risk operation reflects Ukraine’s ongoing resilience and determination to resist Russian aggression, even as diplomatic solutions are being explored on the international stage.
With the next round of talks potentially scheduled before the end of June, the world is watching closely to see if a Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit could materialize.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv’s delegation in Istanbul, has called for leaders to meet in person, stressing the importance of direct dialogue.
Should such a summit take place, it would mark one of the most consequential diplomatic meetings in modern history and could lay the groundwork for ending one of the most devastating conflicts of the 21st century.
While no ceasefire has been secured, recent diplomatic efforts bolstered by Turkey’s mediation and Trump’s potential involvement offer a glimmer of hope. With lives still being lost daily and peace hanging in the balance, the international community must continue to push for a resolution that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty while ending the cycle of violence.

Primelineinfo