The Kremlin has announced that President Vladimir Putin will not travel to Istanbul for proposed peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rejecting Zelenskyy’s bold suggestion for a face-to-face meeting to discuss peace. Instead, Russia’s delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline aide to Putin known for his previous involvement in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
A U.S. official confirmed that Donald Trump will also skip the talks, despite having previously suggested he would attend only if Putin was present. Medinsky will be accompanied to Istanbul by Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, and Igor Kostyukov, head of Russia’s military intelligence agency.
By appointing Medinsky, Russia appears to aim for a revival of negotiations similar to the unsuccessful 2022 Istanbul round, which included demands that Ukraine has deemed unacceptable, such as limiting its military capabilities and obstructing its ability to rebuild with Western support. Notably, the Kremlin will not send its senior diplomats, Yuri Ushakov and Sergei Lavrov, who have participated in previous high-level discussions with the U.S.
Pressure has been mounting on Putin to attend the negotiations, particularly following calls from Zelenskyy and Trump for him to travel to Istanbul. Zelenskyy issued a challenge for a personal meeting after Putin unexpectedly called for direct negotiations in a late-night address.
As Zelenskyy traveled to Ankara on Wednesday evening to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he expressed readiness to fly to Istanbul immediately if Putin decided to attend. He stated, “If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war.”
Late on Wednesday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha shared photos on social media from a meeting in Turkey with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham, emphasizing the need for Russia to reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps towards peace. “It is critical that Russia reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps. So far, it has not. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost,” he noted.
Trump had previously encouraged Zelenskyy to accept the offer of negotiations and expressed hope that Putin would attend. While Trump mentioned the possibility of diverting to Turkey if Putin was present, he also indicated that he was scheduled to be in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as part of his Gulf tour.
Putin and Zelenskyy have met only once, in 2019, and Moscow has consistently portrayed the Ukrainian leader as illegitimate. In Istanbul, Ukraine is expected to call for a full 30-day ceasefire to serve as the basis for further discussions.
Moscow has continuously rejected proposals for extended ceasefires, arguing they would provide Ukraine with time to rearm while Russian forces advance on the battlefield. Russian officials are anticipated to push for maximalist demands during the Istanbul talks, similar to those proposed during the failed negotiations in spring 2022.
European leaders have vowed to increase pressure on Russia if the talks in Turkey fail, but questions remain regarding whether they can secure Trump’s support for their efforts. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized on Wednesday that there must not be a settlement in Ukraine characterized as a “dictated peace” from Moscow, warning of “militarily created facts against Ukraine’s will” and stressing the importance of unity among Western political leaders.
