Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided not to attend the peace talks in Istanbul. The Kremlin confirmed this on Wednesday. As a result, the chances of a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have ended.
Earlier, many expected a rare meeting involving Putin, Zelenskyy, and US President Donald Trump. Trump is currently on a trip to the Middle East. However, Putin’s refusal to attend has ended those hopes.
Kremlin Sends Medinsky to Lead Delegation
Instead of Putin, the Kremlin will send Vladimir Medinsky. He is a close advisor to Putin. In 2022, Medinsky also led the Russian team during direct talks with Ukraine.
Top Russian Officials to Join Medinsky
Moreover, Medinsky will be joined by several senior officials. These include Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.
Zelenskyy Heads to Turkey
At the same time, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy traveled to Ankara on Wednesday evening. He plans to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before the talks begin.
Earlier, Zelenskyy said he was ready to join the talks if Putin agreed to attend. He stated, "If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is final proof that he does not want to end the war."
Today we held several meetings with the team regarding the format in Türkiye. I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 14, 2025
We also hear that President Trump is… pic.twitter.com/DurxIKaMih
Russia Returns to 2022 Strategy
By sending Medinsky, Russia seems to be repeating its 2022 approach. At that time, talks in Istanbul failed. Russia had made strict demands, such as limiting Ukraine’s military and stopping Western support. Ukraine had rejected all of them.
Notably, the Kremlin did not include top diplomats like Yuri Ushakov or Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in this round. Both had joined past high-level meetings with the US in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, their absence suggests Russia may not see this meeting as a priority.
Trump Also Cancels His Visit
Shortly after Putin’s decision, a US official confirmed that Donald Trump would not attend the Istanbul talks either. Earlier, Trump had said he would go to Turkey only if Putin was present.
While Trump is visiting Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, his team never officially confirmed his attendance at the talks.
No Direct Talks Since 2022
Putin and Zelenskyy last met in person in December 2019. The last direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine happened in March 2022. That was just one month after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.