Trump says he will meet with Putin 'as soon as possible'

Donald Trump has said he is ready to meet with Vladimir Putin. (Image: SKY NEWS)

US President Donald Trump has said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin "as soon as we can set it up," speaking to reporters while visiting the Middle East. Speaking at a summit in the UAE, the US President added: “It’s time for us to just do it.”

He said he would have left the event “right now” to meet the Russian leader - but claimed he had wanted to see his newborn grandson first. Mr Trump insisted a deal could be struck, warning: “5,000 young people are being killed every single week on average.” He added: “We’ve got to get it done.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey (Image: Getty)

Mr Trump also said he had predicted Mr Putin would not attend a planned peace meeting in Turkey.

He likewise downplayed the significance of the talks last week during a business roundtable in Doha, asserting that no progress would occur without his direct involvement.

The billionaire claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's absence was anticipated, saying: "He wasn't going if I wasn't there."

Mr Trump emphasised that meaningful negotiations would require a face-to-face meeting between himself and Putin, suggesting that the Istanbul talks were ineffective without their participation.

Donald Trump in Abu Dhabi (Image: Getty)

He further highlighted the urgency of resolving the conflict, noting the high casualty rates and expressing a willingness to engage in discussions promptly.

Despite his scepticism, Mr Trump previously encouraged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to head to Turkey for yesterday's scheduled meetings in Istanbul.

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul on Friday – but expectations are low, with both sides sending delegations of uneven weight.

President Vladimir Putin rejected Mr Zelensky’s invitation to meet face-to-face, prompting the Ukrainian leader to accuse Moscow of staging a diplomatic “theatre prop".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Image: Getty)

Mr Zelensky is still sending Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, saying Ukraine remains committed to peace despite what he called Russia’s lack of seriousness.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would confer on Friday in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation, adding that the Russian delegation would be meeting with other members of the US team and that he hoped all sides could get together.

He told reporters on Thursday: “We don’t have high expectations of what will happen tomorrow.

"And frankly, at this point, I think it’s abundantly clear that the only way we’re going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin."

Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul began with Turkey’s words of greeting at midday local time (9am GMT) on Friday, a source told Russian state news agency TASS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming direct talks without preliminary conditions on May 15 to address the conflict’s root causes and explore a ceasefire - without turning up himself.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova argued the choice of Istanbul made sense since the talks were restarting after a three-year-gap

Putin finalised the Russian negotiation team late Wednesday, with Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky leading a delegation that includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, General Staff official Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.