By ZEKE MILLER and AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he was not surprised that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be a no-show for anticipated peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey this week.

Trump, who had pressed for Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet in Istanbul, brushed off Putin’s apparent decision to not take part in the expected talks.

“I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters as he took part in a business roundtable with executives in Doha on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.

Trump earlier this week floated potentially attending himself. The U.S. president, however, noted on Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was already in the country for meetings with NATO counterparts. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, also plans to be in Istanbul on Friday for the anticipated Russia-Ukraine talks.

The push for direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin comes amid a flurry of negotiations aimed at producing a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Putin was first to propose restarting direct peace talks Thursday with Ukraine in the Turkish city that straddles Asia and Europe. Zelenskyy challenged the Kremlin leader to meet in Turkey in person.

But the Kremlin has said its delegation at the talks will be led by Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, and include three other officials. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Zelenskyy will only sit down with the Russian leader.

Trump, as he wrapped up his visit to Qatar, stopped by a U.S. installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East to speak with U.S. troops. He has used his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the “interventionism” of America’s past in the region.

The installation, al-Udeid Air Base, was a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The base houses some 8,000 U.S. troops, down from about 10,000 at the height of those wars.

Trump told the troops that his “priority is to end conflicts, not start them.”

“But I will never hesitate to wield American power if it’s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners,” Trump said.

The Republican president has held up Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar as models for economic development in a region plagued by conflict. He has urged Qatari officials during his visit to use their influence to entice Iran to come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program.

Trump said progress has been made in the talks but warned a “violent step” could be coming if a deal is not reached.

“Iran has sort of agreed to the terms: They’re not going to make, I call it, in a friendly way, nuclear dust,” Trump said at the business roundtable. “We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran.”

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Following the address, Trump departed for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for the final leg of his Mideast tour. He will visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the country’s largest mosque. The UAE’s founder, Sheikh Zayed, is buried in the mosque’s main courtyard.

Trump will also be hosted for a state visit in the evening by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr Al Watan palace.

Trump earlier this week met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and announced plans to ease sanctions on the war-torn country. The U.S. has deployed more than 1,000 troops in Syria for years to suppress a return of the Islamic State group.

Trump heaped praise on al-Sharaa — who was tied to al-Qaida and joined insurgents battling U.S. forces in Iraq before entering the Syrian civil war — after the two met in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. He called al-Sharaa a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”

It was a stark contrast from earlier years, when al-Sharaa was imprisoned by U.S. troops in Iraq. Until December, there was a $10 million U.S. bounty for his arrest.

Trump said that the opinions of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were big factors in his decision to lift sanctions on Syria.

“President Erdogan called me and said, ‘Is there any way you could do that? Because if you don’t do that, they don’t have a chance,’” Trump said. “So, I did it.”

Madhani reported from Dubai. Associated Press writer Gabe Levin in Dubai contributed to this report.

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, Associated Press Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s first quarter profit slipped and it said it must raise prices due to higher costs from tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump.

The nation’s largest retailers posted strong quarterly sales Thursday and said it expects sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% in the second quarter.

Like many other U.S. companies, however, it did not issue a profit outlook for the quarter because of the chaotic environment, with stated U.S. tariff policies changing constantly. The company maintained its full year guidance issued in February.

Walmart earned $4.45 billion, or 56 cents per share, in the quarter ended April 30, down from $5.10 billion, or 63 cents per share, in the same period last year.

Adjusted earnings per share were 61 cents, exceeding the 58 cent projections from industry analysts, according to FactSet.

Revenue rose 2.5% to $165.61 billion, just short of analyst estimates.

Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales — those from established physical stores and online channels — rose 4.5% in the second quarter, though that’s slowed from a 4.6% bump in the previous quarter, and a 5.3% increase in the third quarter of 2024.

It’s officially patio season!

That means I’m scrambling to visit new, or new-to-me, patios throughout the metro before our big guide comes out May 22.

But this year, I’m also endeavoring to visit some of my favorites, you know, to make sure they’re still good.

Spoiler alert: They are!

And bonus: One newbie that deserves more than a patio-guide blurb.

Herbst Eatery and Farm Stand

Grilled prawns at Herbst Farm Stand & Eatery in St Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I love the hidden terrace behind this farm-to-table gem in St. Paul’s St. Anthony neighborhood.

They don’t take reservations for the patio, so no need to plan ahead. Just drop in for creative vegetable, pasta and meat dishes that are perfect for sharing.

I was with a friend who cannot eat gluten, and I chose Herbst partially because their menu is very clear about what’s gluten- and dairy-free and what can be modified to be made so.

Unlike a lot of places, there are a ton of options for people with dietary restrictions here.

We started with some lovely grilled prawns, enhanced by both chermoula (an African condiment made up mostly of fresh herbs) and a cilantro aioli.

We followed with some rich, tender artichoke hearts, lumache pasta with a Mediterranean-spiced lamb ragu (for me) and risotto topped with pickled and roasted beets.

I love the European-heavy wine list here, but the cocktails are innovative and fantastic, too.

Herbst Eatery and Farm Stand: 779 Raymond Ave., St. Paul; herbstsaintpaul.com

Meritage

Spring pea pancakes at Meritage in downtown St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

We had a concert downtown this week, and the weather was perfect, so an hour or two on this very European terrace with views of the beautiful Landmark Center sounded like just the thing.

We sipped on some stellar cocktails — mine had Spanish brandy and sherry and very much made me want to return to the Iberian peninsula, stat.

We noshed on little spring pea pancakes topped with a dollop of caviar, ribbons of fantastic ahi tuna, bathed in a spicy Thai vinaigrette and topped with a beautiful, tasty peanut tuille. An asparagus salad with dehydrated strawberries was spring on a plate, and moules frites, with the best fries in the Twin Cities (maybe the world? I honestly have not found any better, anywhere), served with the restaurant’s slurpable bearnaise.

It warmed my heart to see all the patrons who were headed to The Palace after dinner on the terrace for a rock concert. I’m not the only one who knows how to have a perfect St. Paul night!

Meritage: 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com

El Cubano

Ropa vieja at El Cubano in West St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I had been craving the black beans at this little restaurant in my neighborhood for weeks.

So on a beautiful Saturday, we stopped for lunch. The front patio here has long been a favorite due to the colorful tables and cute palapa-covered huts outside, and now the restaurant has built a few more huts in the back! It’s not a secret, either, as many of the tables were full.

My husband and I shared the restaurant’s signature sandwich, El Cubano, which is stuffed with pulled pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustard. Bonus: It comes with a few yuca fries, served with a tasty, garlicky dipping sauce.

And to fulfill the black bean craving, we ordered the ropa vieja, shredded flank steak stewed with tomatoes and onions and served with rice, beans, fried plantains and a little salad. The steak is so tender and flavorful — and those beans! They must put a little magic in them while they cook, because I can’t get enough of them.

El Cubano: 870 Dodd Road, West St. Paul; 651-508-1173; elcubanorestaurante.com

Khue’s Kitchen

Sticky jicama ribs at Khue’s Kitchen on St. Paul’s Raymond Avenue. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I was so sad when the former Ngon Bistro space burned down before chef Eric Pham could move in to start Khue’s Kitchen.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Pham moved into the Mid City Kitchen space, which is home to a commissary kitchen during the day and now serves as Khue’s in the evening.

Pham’s family owns Minneapolis Vietnamese restaurant Quang, and his mother is a chef there. But he took his own path to owning a restaurant, cutting his teeth in the Spoon and Stable kitchen.

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Khue’s is somewhere in between those two restaurants, with beautifully plated dishes in a fairly casual atmosphere.

The patio here is small but cute and popular with bicyclists making their way down nearby East River Parkway.

Every bite we had here was fabulous, from the fried chicken sandwich that went viral in Pham’s pop-up phase to the chicken and cabbage salad that I loved so much I replicated it at home the very next day. Also, don’t miss the sticky jicama ribs, which are not ribs at all, but instead a combo of jicama and tofu that is so texturally perfect and punch-you-in-the-mouth flavorful that I’d eat them over a plate of real ribs any day.

Khue’s Kitchen: 693 Raymond Ave., St. Paul; 612-600-9139; khueskitchen.com

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There was a watershed moment for Julius Randle on Wednesday night at Target Center.

After finishing through contact on a fastbreak shortly before halftime, Randle was getting ready to shoot a free throw when he stopped for a few seconds, raised his hand skyward, and implored the home crowd to give him more.

The 19,395 fans in attendance happily obliged, rising to their feet, and showing their love with a deafening roar.

The scene wouldn’t have seemed possible a few months ago when Randle existed mostly as a punching bag for fans as they begrudgingly accepted that he was the replacement for longtime face of the franchise Karl-Anthony Towns.

After arriving from the New York Knicks via a blockbuster trade, the sometimes clunky style of play that Randle brought to the table didn’t help his approval rating as he tried to find his niche with the Timberwolves.

It felt like a marriage that was well on its way to a divorce.

That’s no longer the case as Randle was the best player on the floor for the Timberwolves throughout their 4-1 series win over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals.

He averaged 25.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists, proving himself as a dominant force that consistently put pressure on the rim, a secondary ball handler that helped initiate the offense when called upon, and a calming presence that continued to step up in some of the biggest moments.

A microcosm of those things were on display in the decisive Game 5 as Randle paved the way for the Timberwolves in a 121-110 win over the Warriors.

“They were going to make us earn it,” Randle said. “We came out with the right approach.”

It started with Randle as he was clearly on his game from the onset, whether he was bullying his way into the paint, knocking down shots from beyond the arc, or creating for others off the bounce.

“It’s incredible to be his teammate,” Anthony Edwards said. “He brings it every night. He shows us that he wants to win. I’m happy to have him next to me.”

If Edwards is Batman for the Timberwolves, then Randle is Robin, though reducing him to a sidekick might not be accurate.

Not when Randle himself has started to drive winning as an invaluable piece to the puzzle.

The turning point for Randle came midway through this season when he suffered a groin injury that resulted in him missing a month of action.

Not only did that give him a chance take a step back and watch the game from afar to see where exactly he fit in, it also underscored the importance of using his voice and taking on a leadership role that has continued to shine upon his return.

“After I came back, my mindset was, ‘How can I help this team win?’” Randle said. “It’s as simple as that.”

Though his stats were relatively similar before and after the groin injury, Randle looked like a completely different player as he found a way to play in rhythm on offense while also ratcheting up the intensity on defense.

“I was steadfast in my belief that Julius was going to help this team when it mattered most,” Chris Finch said. “I never really doubted that fact. He was exactly the player that could help us in moments like this. We just had to get to moments like this.”

As he reflected on his growth this season, Randle credited Finch with empowering him to tap into his complete skill set.

“He’s done an amazing job of allowing me to use all my tools,” Randle said. “He’s really opened up my game.”

That has gone a long way in the fans hopping on the Julius Randle bandwagon with the Timberwolves headed to the Western Conference Finals.

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