Putin explained Trump’s absence from the negotiations in Istanbul and revealed why he himself did not attend

U.S. President Donald Trump gave an entirely accurate explanation for why neither he nor Russian President Vladimir Putin attended talks with the Ukrainian side in Istanbul.

This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with representatives of international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Putin was responding to a question from a journalist from the Turkish news agency Anadolu, who noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had proposed holding a summit in Turkey. Volodymyr Zelensky immediately agreed, and Trump said he would attend if Putin did.

“As for President Trump’s statement: Mr. Trump said, ‘Putin isn’t going [to Istanbul] because I’m not going. What would he do there if I’m not there?’ And he’s right. In that sense, he’s absolutely right,” Putin said.

In addition, the Russian president confirmed that Russia is holding talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance.