Trump ‘at the end of his rope’ on Ukraine – ambassador

The president would expect a guaranteed breakthrough from a potential meeting with Putin and Zelensky, the US envoy to Türkiye has said

US President Donald Trump appears to be “at the end of his rope” over the conflict in Ukraine, Washington’s top diplomat in Türkiye has told local media.

Tom Barrack, US ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria, made the remarks during an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV on Monday, in the wake of a second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations which lasted approximately 90 minutes.

He was asked about Kiev’s calls for a high-level summit that would include Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.

Barrack indicated that any such meeting would need to be “meaningful” and yield substantive outcomes, while acknowledging he could not speak for the US president directly. He added that Trump, who has openly expressed frustration with both Zelensky and Putin, is not known for his patience.

Barrack said Türkiye could play a key role in facilitating a breakthrough, given its status as a mediator.

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Trump repeatedly used campaign rallies to claim he could resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia within 24 hours – a claim he later acknowledged was hyperbolic. His efforts to mediate, have faced resistance from European NATO members, who back continued military plans for Ukraine.

Last month, following pressure from Trump, Kiev dropped its opposition to direct talks with Russia, which said such a move was the logical next step.

Zelensky traveled to Türkiye on the date proposed by Moscow for the initial round, claiming he expected Putin to attend.

Russia has maintained that a summit involving top leaders should be the culmination of the negotiation process, not a substitute for it. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated the stance on Tuesday, saying a trilateral meeting with Zelensky and Trump appeared “unlikely anytime soon.”

At Monday’s talks in Istanbul, Kiev reiterated its desire for a trilateral summit. Moscow, in turn, presented two potential paths toward a ceasefire and offered to return the bodies of 6,000 deceased Ukrainian soldiers as a goodwill gesture, which Kiev agreed to reciprocate.