Trump: I am still open to attending the talks on the war in Ukraine scheduled to take place on Thursday in Turkey.

President Donald Trump said today, Wednesday, that he is still considering attending the talks on the war in Ukraine scheduled to be held on Thursday in Turkey and does not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate. Trump told reporters accompanying him on Air Force One en route to Qatar, "Putin would like me to be there, and that is a possibility... I don't know if he will attend if I am not there. We will find out." He said he may visit Turkey to participate in the talks as part of his current tour in the Middle East, and mentioned his next stop in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. The Washington Post quoted Trump as saying, "The situation is very tense, which does not mean that I will not intervene to save many lives." He indicated that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will attend the talks in Istanbul on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he will not attend the talks unless Putin is present. The Kremlin stated on Wednesday that Russia will send a delegation to Istanbul, but did not disclose who will represent them.