Ukraine, Gaza and China: Why Trump's Middle East tour takes on new importance

12 May 2025, 01:29 | Updated: 12 May 2025, 05:23

Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East this week has taken on a new importance after a series of surprising developments on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and on trade between the US and China.

After a diplomatic flurry over the weekend, it seemed like steps were being taken towards some form of possible peace in both Gaza and Ukraine.

Alongside that, Washington claimed it had made "substantial progress" in trade talks with China, with treasury secretary Scott Bessent going as far as to say a deal had been agreed to cut the US trade deficit. But there was no mention of reducing tariffs.

Mr Trump is due to travel to the Middle East later today on the first major foreign trip of his second presidency, visiting Saudi Arabia and then Qatar and the UAE.

It will coincide with a possible meeting between Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's Vladimir Putin, in person in Turkey, and comes after Hamas said it would release a hostage, an Israeli soldier who holds American citizenship.

This leaves Mr Trump facing challenges on three fronts as he visits some of the richest nations in the world.

Zelenskyy and Putin to meet?

The US president previously claimed he could end the war in Ukraine in one day - something he has not done.

On Sunday, he put pressure on Mr Zelenskyy to sit down and meet with Mr Putin in person after Moscow put forward the proposal for talks in Istanbul.

This was something the leader from Kyiv quickly agreed to and it came after European leaders threatened Mr Putin with fresh sanctions.

Thursday could see a potential first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Moscow's invasion began.

It could mark an extraordinary moment in the ongoing war in Ukraine, however, the countries are seemingly still a long way from actual peace.