Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have chosen not to attend the anticipated peace talks in Turkey, leaving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a state of uncertainty regarding the negotiations. The summit, initially expected to facilitate direct discussions between Ukraine and Russia, faced setbacks as both major leaders decided to forego the trip. The Turkish city of Istanbul was set to host these crucial discussions, aiming to ease tensions between the two nations.
Zelenskyy had been under considerable pressure, particularly from Trump, to engage in these talks. However, the Ukrainian leader had firmly stated that his participation was contingent upon Putin’s presence. Earlier in the week, Putin had signaled a willingness to engage in direct negotiations with Zelenskyy in Istanbul, suggesting a potential breakthrough without any preconditions. Despite these indications, Putin’s attendance was never officially confirmed, with his name conspicuously missing from a list of delegates released by the Kremlin late Wednesday.
The Kremlin’s communication strategy remained ambiguous, with Putin’s Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, evading questions about the Russian leader’s potential attendance. When questioned on Wednesday, Peskov cited “work meetings” as reasons for Putin’s absence from Turkey. The Russian delegation, nonetheless, was confirmed to be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, supported by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, and senior military official Igor Kostyukov. The Kremlin noted that Putin had convened a late-night meeting with senior officials to deliberate on the talks, despite his physical absence.
Following the Kremlin’s announcement, a senior White House official disclosed that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would attend the Istanbul talks. However, President Trump himself would not be making the journey to Turkey. Zelenskyy, expressing skepticism about the outcomes of these discussions, stated that he was awaiting confirmation of the Russian delegation’s composition before deciding on Ukraine’s next steps. He conveyed doubt about the reliability of the signals received from Russia, as seen in his social media communications.
The absence of both Trump and Putin from the talks casts doubt on the potential for significant progress. Kyiv had been urged to participate, particularly after Trump’s emphatic calls for immediate discussions with Russia. The talks, scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. Moscow time, now face uncertainty regarding Zelenskyy’s attendance. Andrii Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’s office, was anticipated to participate in the negotiations, though official confirmation of his involvement remains pending. In parallel, Zelenskyy has a scheduled meeting with Turkish President Erdogan in Ankara, set for Thursday.
