The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will not participate in the Ukraine peace talks scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s urging for his attendance. This is a huge blow to US President Donald Trump, who had bragged about brokering the meeting.
Instead, Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential team, will lead the Russian delegation. Zelensky, who confirmed his presence at the talks and expressed willingness to meet Putin face-to-face, will be in Ankara on Thursday to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He emphasised that his participation in direct talks in Istanbul hinges on Putin’s attendance, noting in his Wednesday video address that Russia’s media signals remain unconvincing.
Media reports indicate that US President Donald Trump will also skip the talks, despite earlier suggesting he might attend if Putin were present. Trump, currently in Qatar, remarked that he was unsure of Putin’s attendance without his own participation.
Putin and Zelensky have not met since December 2019, with the last direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations happening in Istanbul in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion. Since then, Russian forces have gradually gained ground, particularly in eastern Ukraine.
Putin’s Call for Talk
Putin’s call for talks without preconditions in Istanbul came after Western leaders proposed a 30-day ceasefire following their meeting in Kyiv. Zelensky, responding to Trump’s support for the proposal, confirmed his personal attendance, stating there was no reason to prolong the conflict. However, with Putin opting out, Zelensky said he would assess Russia’s delegation before deciding Ukraine’s next steps.
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The US president, who is currently in Qatar, told reporters he did not know if his Russian counterpart would attend “if I’m not there”.
“I know he would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that,” Trump said. The US is expected to send a delegation to the talks.
Rubio Arrives in Turkey
The country’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, arrived in Turkey on Wednesday, where he will meet NATO foreign ministers on Thursday.
Ahead of that meeting, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he met Rubio on Wednesday evening. Sabiha said he had reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to US peace efforts and called on Russia to “reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps”.
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Rubio to travel to Istanbul on Friday, where the State Department says he will attend talks with European counterparts to discuss the war in Ukraine
He ended a years-long Western boycott of Russia’s leader by speaking to Putin over the phone in February, and his envoy Steve Witkoff has met Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow.
Trump has previously said Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal”.
On Sunday, when Putin proposed the direct talks, Trump posted on his Social platform: “A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”
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