Rubio says only Trump-Putin meeting can break the deadlock in Ukraine's peace talks
Secretary of State Macro Rubio put forward a pessimistic tone ahead of the talks held in Turkey after Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump said they would not attend.
The peace talks that were supposed to be held Thursday fell into chaos after the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, landed in various cities in Turkey, as it was confirmed that the discussion would not only be held in Cremlin.
Frustration was reportedly growing as delegations and mediators asked for most of the day when, or even if they would meet on Thursday, eventually pushing the meeting to Friday.
President Donald Trump addressed reporters on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, on Air Force One from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump skips Russia-Ukraine peace talks, calling Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman, perhaps in history”
“Frankly, at this point, I think it's clear that the only way we can make a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin,” Rubio told reporters. “This will require a breakthrough on this issue.
He added: “I don't think from this point on anything productive actually happens…until they had a very candid and direct conversation, and I know President Trump is willing to do that.”
Peace negotiations first followed Putin's suggestion last week that Ukraine and Russia should negotiate directly. Zelenskyy agreed and said the talks should be held by the leaders of the fighters.
Trump raised a surprise earlier this week when he suggested he might travel from the UAE to Turkey if progress was made in Thursday's talks, but had never previously suggested that the U.S. president (will end the Middle East tour) be held in negotiations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on May 15, 2025. (Turkish President/Murat Kula/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Image)
Putin proposes direct peace talks with Ukraine to end the war
The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that Putin will not participate in peace talks.
Trump boarded No. 1 on Air Force One on Thursday, and Putin did not attend due to poor arrangements and told reporters that he had no hope for any real progress in the negotiations until he spoke to Putin.
“Look, nothing will happen until Putin and I get together. OK?” Trump said. “He's going, but he thought I'm going. If I'm not there, he won't go.
He added: “Whether you like it or not, I don't believe anything will happen until he is with me.”
The future plans for Trump and Putin's conversations are unclear.
“I can say for sure that the president…will persist [this] Rubio said that as long as peace is needed. But we can’t do things that continue to fly around the world and attend conferences that won’t be productive.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the media after the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya on May 15, 2025, following a potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia ahead of Turkey. (umit bektas/pool/afp via Getty image)
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“The only way we can make a breakthrough here is to face President Trump with President Putin and determine if there is a path to peace,” he added.
Zelenskyy did not object to his frustration at what he said, which proved Putin's “attitude is unwise.”
“The meeting time is not, there is no agenda, no high delegation – there is a personal disrespect for Erdogan, Trump,” Zelenskyy said in a press conference Thursday after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
