Vladimir Putin to skip Ukraine peace talks in Turkey, Kremlin aide to lead delegation

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russia President Vladimir Putin will not attend the direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv that he proposed on May 11. This could have been the first direct peace talks between the Russian president and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy since 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

On Sunday, Putin had proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday "without any preconditions". However, the Kremlin said late on Wednesday that the delegation would include presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin.

Shortly after the Kremlin's announcement, a US official said President Donald Trump would skip the peace talks.

While Putin is not heading to Istanbul for the talks, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that the discussions with Ukraine will resume on Thursday. According to TASS, the Russian delegation heading to Istanbul plans to discuss both technical and political issue.

The absence of the Russian and US presidents has now lowered the expectations for a major breakthrough in the war that Russia started in February 2022.

According to a Ukrainian official, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on his way to Turkey. He had challenged Putin to attend the talks "if he's not afraid," in an apparent contest to show Trump who wants peace more. However, Zelenskyy earlier said he would take part in the negotiations only if Putin were there.

Trump wants the two sides to sign up to a 30-day ceasefire to pause Europe's biggest land war since World War II, and a Russian lawmaker said on Wednesday there could also be discussions about a huge prisoner of war exchange.

While Zelenskyy backs an immediate 30-day ceasefire, Putin has said he first wants to start talks at which the details of such a ceasefire could be discussed.

A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that Ukraine's leadership would decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there was clarity on Putin's participation.

The US delegation to Turkey included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said early on Thursday he had met with Rubio to share Zelenskyy's peace vision and "coordinate positions during this critical week".

Direct talks between negotiators from Ukraine and Russia last took place in Istanbul in March 2022, a month after Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in what he calls a "special military operation".