US President Donald Trump said it was “a possibility” that he would attend Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday. “Putin would want me to be there,” Trump told reporters en route to Qatar, the second stop of his Middle East tour.

Earlier, Trump met Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara in Riyadh, calling him “a young, attractive, tough guy” and “a real leader.” He said al-Shara had a chance to unify Syria and potentially join the Abraham Accords. Trump also confirmed that the US informed Israel in advance about plans to lift sanctions on Syria.