Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Turkey for peace talks on November 19, 2025, without Russian representation, following President Vladimir Putin’s confirmation that Moscow will not send officials to the Istanbul negotiations.
Speaking on November 18, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia will not send representatives to the Ukraine peace talks scheduled for November 19, 2025, in Istanbul.
Peskov emphasised that Russia remains open to negotiations and that its position is well known in Washington, Kyiv, and Istanbul.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to engage with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Turkey’s representatives on the outcomes of the Istanbul discussions.
The spokesperson also criticised France’s plan to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, describing it as regrettable and counterproductive to peace efforts.
Despite the Kremlin’s absence from the talks, officials stress that Russia is still open to dialogue.
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Zelenskyy Heads to Turkey
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he planned to go to Turkey on Wednesday to revive talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine.
A Turkish source stated that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would also visit Turkey on Wednesday and participate in the planned talks there with Zelenskiy.
“We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners. Doing everything possible to bring the end of the war closer is Ukraine’s top priority,” Zelenskiy, who was visiting Spain on Tuesday, said about the meetings in Turkey.
Russia Confirms Joining the Talks Earlier
Earlier on, reports indicated that Russia was prepared to resume peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
On November 12, 2025, Russian state news agency TASS cited Foreign Ministry official Alexei Polishchuk, saying that Turkish authorities had repeatedly encouraged the resumption of negotiations.
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No face-to-face talks have taken place between the two sides since they met in the Turkish city on July 23. TASS quoted Alexei Polishchuk, the official, as saying that Turkish officials had repeatedly urged a resumption of the peace negotiations.
“The Russian team is ready for this; the ball is in the Ukrainian court,” Polishchuk stated.
Ukraine rejected Kremlin assertions that it is to blame for the stalled peace process, as the war nears the end of its fourth year.
At the July 23 meeting, which lasted just 40 minutes, the Ukrainian side proposed a meeting in August between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin subsequently said Putin was willing to meet Zelenskiy, but only in Moscow – a condition rejected by Kyiv.
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