President Donald Trump landed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday beginning his first international tour since taking office.
According to ABC News, Trump administration officials are working toward getting a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, after war broke out between the two nations in 2022. Trump is also seeking peace between Israel and Palestine in the Gaza Strip.
While travelling to Saudi Arabia from Qatar, Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One that Russian President Valdimir Putin wants the U.S. president to be present at the upcoming peace talks that will be held in Turkey.
“He would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that,” Trump said.
When asked what would happen if Putin didn’t attend the talks, Trump said, “Well, I don’t know if he’s showing up.”
The president further declined to comment on Putin’s handling of peace negotiations with Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but noted that he would be able to answer that question in a few days.
During his visit to Qatar, Trump said there would be “pretty good news” coming from the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, “today and maybe tomorrow and maybe Friday.”
Trump further praised the new leader of Syria, President Ahmad al-Sharaa and told reporters he was “very good” and a “young, attractive guy.”
“He’s got a real shot at pulling it together. I spoke with President Erdogan, who I’m very friendly with. He feels he’s got a shot of doing a good job. It’s a torn-up country,” Trump said.
Trump said he believes that Syria might join the Abraham Accords once it has resolved its internal challenges, though he acknowledged that the country still has significant progress to make.
When asked about consulting Israel before lifting sanctions on Syria, Trump stated that his administration had informed Israel of the decision beforehand. He also noted that the rollback of sanctions was influenced by requests from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
“The reason I did it is because I spoke with the President Erdogan and I spoke to Mohammed, as you know, and they thought it was very important to do, it gives … them a much better chance of survival as a country,” Trump said.
