Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that US President Donald Trump had told him that he would participate in possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if Russian leader Vladimir Putin also agreed to attend, Reuters reported.
Erdogan's statement was made to journalists on board the plane upon his return from the NATO summit, where he met Trump in person for the first time since his re-election.
"I told President Trump that Turkey aims to bring together the leaders of Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul or Ankara for peace talks," the Turkish head of state said. "He replied: "If President Vladimir Putin comes to Istanbul or Ankara to find a solution, then I will come too.""
Erdogan's office added that the Turkish side will take the necessary diplomatic actions, hoping that the meeting will take place as soon as possible.
We recall that Trump has already expressed his readiness to go to Istanbul for the first scheduled talks between Russia and Ukraine, scheduled for May 15, and it was initially expected that a direct meeting would take place there between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had arrived in Turkey, but in the end Putin refused to attend and Trump did not go either.