Putin to skip first direct peace talks with Ukraine's Zelensky in Turkey — despite proposing them
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the crucial peace talks in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite initially proposing them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Thursday's (May 15) landmark peace talks in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin confirmed late Wednesday (May 14), ending days of speculation.
It must be noted that these talks were proposed by Putin as an alternative to Zelensky's 30-day ceasefire proposal. The Istanbul talks are the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the war started in 2022.
Who will attend the meeting on behalf of Russia?
As per the Kremlin, a lower-level delegation led by nationalist aide Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline aide to Putin and ex-culture minister who was involved in 2022 negotiations, will represent Russia at the meet.
This, as per Kyiv, signals a lack of seriousness about peace. Zelensky had openly challenged Putin to meet face-to-face.
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"I am waiting to see who will arrive from Russia. Then I will decide what steps Ukraine should take," said Zelensky on Wednesday.
This statement follows another from Tuesday, in which Zelensky stressed, "This is his (Putin's) war...Therefore, the negotiations should be with him."
US President Donald Trump, currently touring the Middle East, also called for Putin's attendance and hinted that he might travel to Istanbul if Putin showed up — even offering to mediate.
"If we could end the war, I'd be thinking about that," Trump said.
Instanbul talks: Who's going, who's not
For Russia, the delegation, as mentioned previously, would be led by Trump loyalist Vladimir Medinsky. The team would also include Deputy Foreign Minister Galuzin, Deputy Defence Minister Fomin, and GRU chief Igor Kostyukov, reports AFP.
Meanwhile, Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov were missing from the list of attendees.
Volodymyr Zelensky, as per reports, is expected to attend. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend as the United States representative.
Watch | Russia-Ukraine War: Marco Rubio to participate in Russia-Ukraine talks on Thursday
What's at stake?
This is the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace contact in over 3 years. It comes as Moscow repeatedly snubbed Ukraine's proposed 30-day ceasefire, and fighting continues with a Russian missile strike killing three in Ukraine’s Sumy on Wednesday.