Trump says he will return to Washington after Gulf tour

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was returning to Washington after wrapping up his Gulf tour.

"Let's see what happens with Russia and Ukraine," he said, referring to Russia-Ukraine talks taking place in Turkey.

Trump said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "as soon as we can set it up".

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Istanbul on Friday for their first peace talks in more than three years as both sides come under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.

The encounter at the Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus is a sign of diplomatic progress between the warring sides, who had not met face-to-face since March 2022.

A meeting between Turkish, U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul has started, said a Turkish foreign ministry source.

But expectations for a major breakthrough, already low, were dented further on Thursday when Trump said there would be no movement without a meeting between himself and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.