KYIV: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will not attend the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years, scheduled for Thursday.
Instead, the Kremlin will send a delegation of experienced officials to represent Russia in Turkey. Here are the key updates:
Although Putin never confirmed his personal attendance, there was widespread speculation after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged him to participate.
On Wednesday, the Kremlin announced the delegation would include presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin.
Following this, a US official confirmed that Trump would also skip the talks, despite his recent statements that he was considering attending.
At a White House briefing on Monday, Trump said he might travel to Istanbul for the meeting if he believed progress could be made, but he had many other commitments.
The absence of both presidents lowers hopes for a major breakthrough in the war that Russia began in February 2022.
Zelensky’s attendance uncertain
It is unclear whether Zelensky will attend, as he recently stated he would only meet Putin directly and would not negotiate with any other Russian representatives, emphasizing that all decisions in Russia depend on Putin.
Zelensky said at a press conference, “I said I’m ready to go to Turkey on Thursday to meet Putin, and that ending the war requires direct talks with him.”
Trump, growing frustrated with both sides as he pushes for peace, mentioned he is considering imposing secondary sanctions on Moscow if it obstructs the peace process.
He aims for both parties to agree on a 30-day ceasefire to pause Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II. Additionally, a Russian lawmaker suggested that the talks might also cover a large prisoner of war exchange.
Zelensky supports an immediate 30-day ceasefire, while Putin insists that talks need to start first to discuss the terms of such a ceasefire.
(Inputs from international news agencies)
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