DOHA, Qatar (AP) 鈥 President Donald Trump said Thursday he was not surprised that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be a no-show for anticipated peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey this week.
Trump had pressed for Putin and Ukraine President to meet in Istanbul. He brushed off Putin鈥檚 apparent decision to not take part in the expected talks.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think it was possible for Putin to go if I鈥檓 not there,鈥 Trump said in an exchange with reporters as he took part in a business roundtable with executives in Doha on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.
Trump earlier this week The U.S. president, however, noted on Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was already in the country for meetings with NATO counterparts. Trump鈥檚 special envoy, Steve Witkoff, also plans to be in Istanbul on Friday for the anticipated Russia-Ukraine talks.
The push for direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin comes amid a aimed at producing a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Putin was first to Thursday with Ukraine in the Turkish city that straddles Asia and Europe. Zelenskyy to meet in Turkey in person.
But the Kremlin has said its delegation at the talks will be led by Putin鈥檚 aide, Vladimir Medinsky, and include three other officials. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Zelenskyy will only sit down with the Russian leader.
Later Thursday, Trump will visit a U.S. installation in Qatar at the center of American involvement in the Middle East. He has used his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the 鈥渋nterventionism鈥 of America鈥檚 past in the region.
Trump will address troops at Qatar鈥檚 , which was a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The president has held up Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar as models for economic development in a region plagued by conflict. He has urged Qatari officials during his visit to use their influence to entice Iran to come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program.
Trump says progress has been made in the talks but warned a 鈥渧iolent step鈥 could be coming if a deal is not reached.
鈥淚ran has sort of agreed to the terms: They鈥檙e not going to make, I call it, in a friendly way, nuclear dust," Trump said at the business roundtable. "We鈥檙e not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran.鈥
After his address to U.S. troops, he will travel to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for the final leg of his Mideast tour. He will visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the country鈥檚 largest mosque. The UAE鈥檚 founder, Sheikh Zayed, is buried in the mosque鈥檚 main courtyard.
Trump will also be hosted for a state visit in the evening by UAE President at the Qasr Al Watan palace.
Trump earlier this week met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and announced plans to ease sanctions on the war-torn country. The U.S. has deployed more than 1,000 troops in Syria for years to suppress a return of the Islamic State group.
Trump heaped praise on al-Sharaa 鈥 who was tied to al-Qaida and joined insurgents battling U.S. forces in Iraq before entering the Syrian civil war 鈥 after the two met in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The president called al-Sharaa a 鈥測oung, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.鈥
It was a stark contrast from earlier years, when Al-Sharaa was imprisoned by U.S. troops in Iraq. Until December, there was a $10 million U.S. bounty for his arrest.
Trump said that the opinions of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were big factors in his decision to lift sanctions on Syria.
鈥淧resident Erdogan called me and said, 鈥滻s there any way you could do that? Because if you don鈥檛 do that, they don鈥檛 have a chance,'" Trump said. 鈥淪o, I did it.鈥
The Qatari base Trump is visiting houses some 8,000 U.S. troops, down from about 10,000 at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The gas-rich Gulf country has spent some $8 billion over two decades in developing the base, built on a flat stretch of desert about 20 miles (30 kilometers) southwest of Qatar鈥檚 capital, Doha. The base was once considered so sensitive that American military officers would say only that it was somewhere 鈥渋n southwest Asia.鈥
Trump said he and the emir of Qatar, , would also see a demonstration of American air capability, as the U.S. leader looks to boost defense exports to the region.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e buying a lot of that equipment actually,鈥 Trump said Wednesday when he and Sheikh Tamim signed a series of bilateral and business agreements between the two countries. 鈥淎nd I think we鈥檙e going to see some of it in action tomorrow at the 鈥 we won鈥檛 call it an air fair, but its going to be sort of an air fair. We鈥檙e going to be showing a display that鈥檚 going to be incredible. They have the latest and the greatest of our planes and just about everything else.鈥
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Madhani reported from Dubai. Associated Press writer Gabe Levin in Dubai contributed to this report.
