Trump Says Ukraine Peace Deal Stalls Until Putin Meeting

Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey collapsed after Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to attend and sent a lower-level delegation instead. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Russia's delegation as lacking authority and called on Putin to demonstrate leadership by engaging in direct talks. U.S. President Donald Trump declared that no progress on a peace deal would occur until he personally meets with Putin, asserting that Putin refused to attend talks because Trump was not participating. Despite Putin’s proposal for talks without preconditions, his absence and the delegation’s low rank were seen by Kyiv and others as a sign of Russia’s unwillingness to seriously negotiate. Zelensky expressed frustration over what he viewed as disrespect from Russia, while Trump indicated willingness to join the talks to help resolve the conflict, contrasting with the Biden administration's position that negotiations should be led solely by Ukraine. The stalled talks underscore ongoing challenges in reaching a ceasefire in the war that began with Russia's invasion in 2022.