Rubio, Witkoff Plan to Join Istanbul Talks
(MENAFN) Steve Witkoff, a representative of U.S. Leader Donald Trump, announced plans to travel to Istanbul this Friday along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as reported by a news agency.
Earlier in the week, Trump had declared that American diplomats would participate in the forthcoming discussions concerning the Ukraine dispute.
These discussions will mark the initial face-to-face negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in over three years and are scheduled to take place in the Turkish city on May 15.
On Sunday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin expressed a willingness to revive talks aimed at reaching a long-term resolution that would confront the "root causes" of the conflict.
Witkoff made his statement on Wednesday during a press briefing in Doha.
He and Rubio are currently accompanying President Trump on a diplomatic tour of Qatar, which is part of a wider journey throughout the Middle East.
On Tuesday, Trump affirmed that Rubio and other American representatives would be involved in the Istanbul discussions.
A spokesperson from the White House later specified that Rubio, Witkoff, and Keith Kellogg—the U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine—would all be present at the negotiation table.
Although Trump had earlier indicated the possibility of attending the talks in person, he later informed journalists aboard Air Force One, en route to Qatar, that his itinerary would prevent him from doing so.
From Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia would be dispatching a delegation and anticipated that Ukraine would reciprocate.
Meanwhile, Kiev had earlier maintained that President Vladimir Zelensky would engage only in direct talks with the Russian president.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
