Washington, June 03(H.S.): US President Donald Trump is receptive to an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to conduct peace talks in Istanbul involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as stated by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump is inclined to facilitate joint discussions among the leaders to resolve ongoing conflicts. Erdogan expressed his desire to convene these leaders in hopes of ending the war in Ukraine, which has seen multiple unsuccessful negotiation attempts. He affirmed Turkey's commitment to support a meeting for peace negotiations.

Simultaneously, Ukrainian and Russian delegations participated in a second round of talks in Istanbul, resulting in agreements for a large-scale prisoner exchange without establishing an immediate ceasefire. Trump has voiced dissatisfaction regarding the slow progress of ceasefire discussions, exacerbated by Russia’s reluctance to agree to an unconditional truce and ongoing military actions from both sides. He has indicated the possibility of withdrawing from negotiations if progress is not made.

Under Trump's encouragement, direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have resumed for the first time since the invasion began, yet only limited progress has been noted in these discussions, primarily surrounding prisoner exchanges. Russia has presented significant demands, including territorial concessions from Ukraine and restrictions on Ukraine's NATO aspirations and military capabilities, which Zelenskyy and Kyiv categorically reject. They characterize Russia's military actions as imperialistic attempts to acquire land.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar