By Erin Banco, Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON/RIYADH/ANTALYA, Turkey (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 the war in Ukraine,

The talks in Istanbul complicated a European push for the United States to pressure Russia into a ceasefire in Ukraine.

For days, President Donald Trump repeatedly floated the possibility of scrapping his Middle East travel schedule — one his team meticulously crafted for weeks — and adding a stop to personally mediate Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey.

June 15, 2024: Representatives of 92 nations meet in Nidwalden, Switzerland, to discuss Ukraine’s peace plan. Despite the growing number of delegates, a consensus remains elusive. The summit’s final statement is backed by most – although not all – participants.

Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is willing to travel to Turkey for the talks - even if Vladimir Putin does not turn up.

The Kremlin brushed off the threat of further sanctions, saying that “the language of ultimatums is unacceptable.”