There is uncertainty surrounding whether US President Trump and Russian President Putin will personally attend the high-level peace talks between Russia and Ukraine scheduled to take place in Turkey this Thursday, May 15. The Kremlin responded to inquiries on Wednesday without providing a clear answer, leaving suspense in the air.
Putin publicly proposed last Sunday to engage in “without preconditions” direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, but did not indicate whether he would attend in person. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that they have not yet received a clear directive from the president, so the list of Russian delegation members is temporarily withheld.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that “the Russian delegation will await the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on May 15.”
Meanwhile, Trump, who is currently on a visit to the Middle East, stated that he is still considering whether to attend the talks in person. While flying from Saudi Arabia to Qatar on Air Force One on Wednesday, he said, “Putin wants me to attend, that’s a possibility… but I’m not sure if he will still go if I don’t, we will wait and see.” Trump also emphasized his hope to facilitate a 30-day ceasefire agreement between the two parties. A Russian lawmaker mentioned on Wednesday that the discussions might also involve a large-scale prisoner exchange.
Ukrainian President Zelensky supports an immediate 30-day ceasefire, but Putin stated that he prefers to begin negotiations first to discuss the details of the ceasefire.
After Trump’s call, Zelensky promptly expressed his willingness to attend, on the condition that Putin must also be present. He wrote on social media, “I will personally travel to Turkey on Thursday, waiting for Putin. I hope this time the Russian side will not find excuses.”
If Putin agrees to attend, this meeting would mark the first face-to-face summit between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders since December 2019. The last contact between negotiation representatives of both sides was in March 2022 in Istanbul.
According to unconfirmed reports from Russian and Ukrainian media, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Ushakov may lead the delegation to the talks, but “The Business Daily” reported on Wednesday evening that Lavrov will not be present.
The US has confirmed the participation of Secretary of State Rubio and two envoys, Witkoff and Kellogg, in the dialogue. Trump emphasized that the US will continue to push for the peace process and if Russia obstructs the progress of the agreement, he does not rule out implementing secondary sanctions, including restricting buyers of Russian oil.
(Information referenced from Reuters)