U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that when it comes to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, nothing will happen until he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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"Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together. Okay?" Trump said.
"And obviously he wasn't going to go. He was going to go, but he thought I was going to go", the president continued.
Trump's comment comes after Russia said President Vladimir Putin will not be on the list of officials attending the peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey.
Trump added that he was not disappointed that the Russian delegation sent to Turkey on Thursday for high-level talks with Ukraine did not include Putin: "I'm not disappointed by anything. I'm not disappointed. Why should I? We've just collected $4 trillion and you're disappointed for a delegation? I don't know anything about the delegation, I haven't even checked it."
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not meet with any Russian representative in Turkey except Putin, while calling the Russian delegation that appeared in Istanbul "fake" and "decorative".
Trump, for his part, had said that a trip to Turkey was still on the table, leaving that possibility open, even after high-ranking officials announced that there were no plans for such a thing.
"If something happens, I'll go on Friday, if it's appropriate," he said during a business meeting in Doha.
The U.S. president made the comments after a plate of spaghetti and meatballs while flying Air Force One during a four-day tour of the Middle East.
"Nothing is going to happen until Putin and I meet," Trump said.
It is recalled that the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled for today, Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Ankara where he is meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
