Doha, Qatar — On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his lack of surprise regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to skip the anticipated peace talks with Ukraine scheduled to take place in Turkey this week. During a business roundtable in Doha, Trump, who had previously encouraged a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul, downplayed Putin's absence, stating, “I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there.”
As Trump engaged with reporters on the third day of his Middle East visit, he mentioned that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was already in Turkey for discussions with NATO counterparts. Additionally, Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to be in Istanbul on Friday, coinciding with the anticipated Russia-Ukraine talks. This push for direct dialogue between Zelenskyy and Putin comes amid ongoing negotiations aimed at establishing a ceasefire agreement between the two nations.
Initially, it was Putin who suggested restarting direct peace talks in Turkey, a city that bridges Asia and Europe. Zelenskyy responded by challenging Putin to meet face-to-face in Turkey; however, the Kremlin has indicated that their delegation will be led by Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, along with three other officials. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak emphasized that Zelenskyy is only willing to engage in discussions with the Russian leader himself.
As President Trump concluded his visit to Qatar, he made a stop at a U.S. military installation central to American involvement in the Middle East. At al-Udeid Air Base, which houses approximately 8,000 U.S. troops, Trump addressed the service members, asserting that his “priority is to end conflicts, not start them.” He further stated, “But I will never hesitate to wield American power if it’s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners.”
Throughout his four-day tour of Gulf states, Trump has criticized past U.S. “interventionism” in the region while praising countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar for their economic development. He urged Qatari officials to leverage their influence to encourage Iran to negotiate a deal with his administration aimed at curbing its nuclear program. Trump claimed progress had been made in these discussions but warned that a “violent step” could be imminent if a resolution is not reached. “Iran has sort of agreed to the terms: They’re not going to make, I call it, in a friendly way, nuclear dust,” he stated during the roundtable.
Later on Thursday, Trump is set to travel to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for the concluding leg of his Middle Eastern tour. His itinerary includes a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the country, where the UAE’s founder, Sheikh Zayed, is interred. In the evening, Trump will be welcomed for a state visit by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr Al Watan palace.
Earlier in the week, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and announced plans to alleviate sanctions on Syria, a country where the U.S. has maintained over 1,000 troops to counter the resurgence of the Islamic State. Trump praised al-Sharaa, despite his controversial past, calling him a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.” This commendation starkly contrasts with previous years when al-Sharaa was detained by U.S. forces in Iraq, and a $10 million bounty was placed on his head until December.
Trump attributed his decision to lift sanctions on Syria to the influence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stating, “President Erdogan called me and said, ‘Is there any way you could do that? Because if you don’t do that, they don’t have a chance.’ So, I did it.”
___ Madhani reported from Dubai. Associated Press writer Gabe Levin contributed to this report.
