In the context of US President Trump urging Russia and Ukraine to end the war, representatives from both sides held their first peace talks in over three years on Friday (May 16) in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that Russian President Putin would not attend the direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, further dampening expectations for progress in the negotiations.
Trump had previously mentioned that if Putin attended this rare meeting, he might join as well. However, if both Trump and Putin are absent, this direct meeting may not lead to any significant breakthrough.
According to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source, negotiation representatives from Turkey, the US, and Ukraine are set to meet at 7:45 GMT, followed by a meeting involving delegations from Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine at 9:30.
Last Sunday (11th), Putin proposed direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey but rejected Ukrainian President Zelensky’s suggestion for a face-to-face meeting, only sending a mid-level official delegation to participate in the talks.
Zelensky commented that Putin’s absence and the presence of a mere “facade” delegation indicated that the Russian leadership had no intention of ending the war. Russia, on the other hand, accused Ukraine of theatrics in negotiating matters.
Russia views this meeting as a continuation of the negotiations held in Istanbul in 2022 at the beginning of the conflict. However, at that time, Ukraine was still reeling from the initial impact of the Russian invasion, and the terms discussed were highly unfavorable for Kyiv. These terms included Moscow’s demand for significant reduction in Ukraine’s military size.
Despite controlling nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, Putin persists in his long-term goal of demanding territorial concessions from Ukraine, urging them to give up NATO membership and become a neutral country.
Ukraine rejected these terms, considering them akin to surrender, and sought security guarantees from allies such as the US and NATO.
A spokesperson for the US State Department mentioned that Policy Planning Director Michael Anton would represent the US in the direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump also stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would attend the meeting.
The Russian delegation is led by Kremlin adviser Vladimir Medinsky, accompanied by a Deputy Defense Minister, a Deputy Foreign Minister, and the head of military intelligence.
Zelensky mentioned on Thursday that the Ukrainian delegation would be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, including a deputy head of the Ukrainian intelligence agency, a deputy chief of the military General Staff, and a Deputy Foreign Minister.
(This article references reports from Reuters.)