U.S. and European diplomats went on a flurry of calls in the hours after U.S. President Donald Trump offered on Monday to join prospective Ukraine-Russia talks later this week, trying to find a path that would bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON/RIYADH/ANTALYA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will travel to Istanbul for potential talks on Thursday on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, three sources familiar with the plans said on Tuesday.

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President Donald Trump on Monday raised the prospect of joining talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey on Thursday. Trump will be visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. He said "I think you may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine.

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Russian officials have already been preparing for Putin to reject the meeting, with Moscow claiming a sit-down with Zelensky would only amount to “pure spectacle.”