U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be heading to the Ukraine-Russia talks in Türkiye on Thursday, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.
Trump voiced optimism that the talks between Ukraine and Russia, set for Istanbul later this week, could yield "pretty good results."
"I've also been working relentlessly to end the terrible bloodshed between Russia and Ukraine, and very importantly, talks are being held in Turkey later this week, probably on Thursday, and they could produce some pretty good results," Trump said in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
"Our people are going to be going there – (Secretary of State) Marco (Rubio) is going to be going there. Others are going to be going, and we'll see if we can get it done."
The diplomatic push is the latest to end the war that began in early 2022. The direct talks with Ukraine were proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday and have received support from Türkiye and the U.S., with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming his attendance.
Putin has yet to confirm his participation, and Trump said Monday that he may travel to Istanbul if he thought it would be helpful.
Trump's special envoys, Keith Kellogg and Steve Witkoff,are reportedly expected to take part in the talks, regardless of whether Trump attends.
Rubio will be in Antalya, Türkiye, from May 14 -16 for an informal NATO foreign ministers meeting.
