Trump headed for Istanbul? ‘Leaving tomorrow, destination unknown’ hint sparks buzz

President Donald Trump again teased his possible attendance in Istanbul for the Russia-Ukraine peace talks on Friday

President Donald Trump again teased his possible attendance in Istanbul for the Russia-Ukraine peace talks on Friday. Speaking to reporters from the United Arab Emirates, his final stop of the Middle East trip, the 78-year-old was asked where he was heading next. The president sparked buzz with his ‘destination unknown’ comment. 

US President Donald Trump speaks after signing the guest book at Qasr Al-Watan (Palace of the Nation) in Abu Dhabi (AFP)

Responding to a question by a reporter in the UAE, Trump said, "We'll be leaving tomorrow. It's almost 'destination unknown'. We're getting calls, 'could you be here? Could you be there?' But we're probably going back to Washington, DC."

There is no Turkey trip mentioned on Trump's schedule yet. On Wednesday, White House officials clarified that the president will not attend the Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul. 

This comes after the Kremlin left out Russian President Vladimir Putin's name from the delegation attending the talks, signaling for the first time that Putin will not be in Turkey. Trump had previously said that the Russian president would ‘like me to be there’. 

After the Kremlin released the list, White House officials told CNN that President Trump will not take a flight to Istanbul. They added that changing the 78-year-old's schedule would be a ‘logistical nightmare’. 

On Wednesday, when asked by CNN's Kaitlan Collins onboard Air Force One, Trump said Putin would ‘like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives and come back’. 

He continued, “I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there.” Trump first said on Monday that he was considering flying into Turkey for the peace talks: “There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen.”