Trump voices peace optimism as Zelenskyy backs trilateral summit in Türkiye

US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war was "very close," as Zelenskyy backed holding a summit of the US, Russian and Ukrainian leaders in Türkiye. Erdoğan is expected to meet Trump and Putin.

US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which has lasted nearly five years, was close and that he had not expressed such optimism until now. Speaking to conservative commentator Benny Johnson in an interview published on October 31, Trump said, "I think we're getting very close to a deal there, and I wasn't saying that before."

Asked whether he would bring Russia and Ukraine together at the G20 Leaders' Summit scheduled for December at Trump National Doral in Florida, Trump recalled that the hostility between the two leaders was "tremendous." Trump said, "We really have a very good chance of resolving that as well. We're working on a lot of agreements."

Eyes turn to a possible trilateral summit in Türkiye

Trump's remarks came on the same day as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Istanbul. Meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Dolmabahçe Working Office, Zelenskyy said they were preparing for a trilateral Ukraine-US-Russia meeting expected to take place in the first half of November. Zelenskyy said Erdoğan would meet Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding, "Ukraine supports trilateral meetings at the leaders' level in Türkiye."

Ukrayna Devlet Başkanı Zelenskiy, İstanbul'daki ortak basın toplantısında konuşuyor

Erdoğan also said at the joint news conference, "There are no losers in a just peace," stressing that Türkiye was ready to make every effort to open the way to peace. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who attended the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, said the war had become "unsustainable" and that Russia and Ukraine had to reach an agreement with a major sacrifice.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they were examining Türkiye's proposal for a partial ceasefire to allow grain shipments in the Black Sea, adding that such a step could resolve an important dimension of the war even if it did not end the conflict.

ABD Dışişleri Bakanı Marco Rubio, Atlanta'daki basın toplantısında

Moscow points to a date after November 4

Yuriy Ushakov, the Kremlin's foreign policy adviser, had said Russia was ready to resume trilateral talks after November 4, National Unity Day. On October 21, Putin received Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, in St. Petersburg.

During the days when Witkoff met with Putin, 74-year-old US citizen Stephen Hubbard was also released after being detained in Russia for more than four years. Hosting Hubbard in the Oval Office on October 30, Trump said, "Foolish people wanted me to impose sanctions on Russia," arguing that Hubbard would not have been able to return to his country if sanctions had been imposed.

Trump voices peace optimism as Zelenskyy backs trilateral summit in Türkiye