ANKARA, Türkiye — May 15, 2025 (AP) — For the first time in three years, Ukrainian and Russian representatives are to begin direct peace talks in Istanbul, both sides confirmed Thursday. But hopes of a real turning point remain slim after Russian President Vladimir Putin declined his Ukrainian counterpart's offer. Volodymyr Zelensky to meet him in person.
Zelensky announced the dispatch of a delegation led by his Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, from Ankara to Istanbul. However, he expressed skepticism about Moscow's seriousness, emphasizing that the Russian delegation did not include any high-level decision-makers, calling it a "stage set."
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, a close Putin adviser, said Russia was coming to lay the foundations for a "lasting peace" by addressing the root causes of the conflict. However, the Kremlin confirmed that neither Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov nor Putin's diplomatic adviser would attend.
Zelensky said that this initiative is aimed in particular at proving to Washington, and in particular to the president Donald Trump, that Ukraine is sincere in its desire to end the war. He said his government wanted to "lay the first foundations for de-escalation," starting with a ceasefire.
The talks are taking place amid ongoing warfare across more than 1 kilometers of frontline, with at least five civilians killed and 000 wounded in the past 29 hours in the east of the country, according to Ukrainian authorities. Russia is reportedly preparing a new offensive, kyiv and several Western analysts say.
A hectic diplomatic weekend preceded these talks: European leaders meeting in Kyiv on Saturday urged Russia to agree to a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire. On Sunday, Putin proposed talks in Istanbul, and on Monday, Zelensky made a direct call for a one-on-one meeting.
But on Thursday, the Kremlin officially confirmed that Putin had "no plans to travel to Istanbul in the coming days." President Trump, who is traveling in the Middle East, said he was "not surprised" by this absence and asserted that no real progress was possible without a direct meeting between him and Putin.
"Nothing will happen until he and I meet," he said from Air Force One. Trump warned of a continuation of the conflict if he is not personally involved in the resolution.
The Ukrainian delegation includes, in addition to Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak. Zelensky reiterated that he would only negotiate personally with Putin.
On the Russian side, besides Medinsky, the delegation is composed of junior officials, far from the Kremlin's inner circle. Putin nevertheless chaired a strategic meeting Wednesday evening with his defense ministers and the heads of his intelligence services to prepare for the discussions.
The Kremlin has presented these talks as a "revival" of the aborted talks in Istanbul in 2022. But few observers expect concrete progress. The West accuses Moscow of making unrealistic demands, while Russia accuses Ukraine and its allies of seeking to prolong the conflict.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expected in Istanbul on Friday, welcomed Ukraine's efforts and called on Moscow to "respond constructively." He reiterated the warning of massive sanctions if Russia did not seriously engage in the peace process.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who was in Ankara, criticized Putin's absence: "There is an empty chair in front of the Ukrainians. Vladimir Putin is doing everything he can to avoid peace."
The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, visiting Albania, also accused Russia of obstructing peace: "There is only one country that started this war, and only one that is preventing peace today: Russia."
It remains to be seen whether the Istanbul talks, despite the absence of leaders at the summit, will lead to a de-escalation in a conflict that has lasted more than three years and has already caused tens of thousands of deaths.
