{"id":103191,"date":"2025-05-15T09:46:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T09:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/103191\/"},"modified":"2025-05-15T09:46:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T09:46:30","slug":"zelensky-in-turkey-for-russia-peace-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/103191\/","title":{"rendered":"Zelensky in Turkey for Russia peace talks"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Zelensky has described the Russian delegation of low-level officials, due to meet Ukrainian officials in Istanbul for peace talk, as \u201cdecorative\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see if they have a mandate to make decisions,\u201d he told reporters as he stepped of his plane in Ankara.<\/p>\n

Zelensky also confirmed he would only decide on the negotiations\u2019 next steps after meeting with President Erdogan.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Zelensky talks to the media after arriving in Ankara<\/p>\n

HUSEYIN HAYATSEVER\/REUTERS<\/p>\n

Turkey to press for peace negotiations<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for President Erdogan said the Turkish head of state would emphasise the \u201ccountry\u2019s approach to a ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations without delay\u201d.<\/p>\n

Before the meeting between Erdogan and President Zelensky, Fahrettin Altun said the pair would \u201cdiscuss all aspects of the latest developments in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war\u201d.<\/p>\n

In Ankara, Zelensky has stepped off his plane and was met by the Turkish military.<\/p>\n

Ukraine \u2018will discuss truce not peace deal\u2019<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s delegation is ready to discuss a possible 30-day ceasefire in Istanbul, the Kyiv-based Suspilny media outlet has reported, citing a source.<\/p>\n

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Kyiv\u2019s negotiators would only discuss a truce rather than a broader peace deal, after President Putin snubbed a proposed summit with President Zelensky. Putin has previously rejected European and US calls for a ceasefire.<\/p>\n

In Russia, the foreign ministry has said its delegation \u201creceived instructions to focus on long-term peace in Ukraine\u201d, without mentioning a short term ceasefire.<\/p>\n

It would appear Moscow and Kyiv\u2019s demands remain far apart.<\/p>\n

Zelensky arrives in Ankara\"Zelensky<\/p>\n

Zelensky disembarks his presidential jet in the Turkish capital<\/p>\n

President Zelensky has arrived in Ankara, the Turkish capital, before a meeting with President Erdogan.<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian leader would make a decision on how his delegation in Istanbul should proceed with peace talks only after meeting with Erdogan, it is understood.<\/p>\n

There is now confirmation from the Russian foreign ministry that the peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul will not begin until the \u201csecond half of the day\u201d.<\/p>\n

The ministry\u2019s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said they had been postponed at the request of Turkish officials.<\/p>\n

Putin will \u2018definitely not\u2019 attend Istanbul talks<\/p>\n

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, has just confirmed President Putin would \u201cdefinitely not\u201d attend peace talks in Turkey. His absence had been assumed after Putin\u2019s name was missed off a list of Russian officials due in Istanbul today.<\/p>\n

Putin\u2019s decision to send junior officials instead foreclosed the possibility of any breakthrough, Western diplomats have said.<\/p>\n

By naming Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister, as head of the delegation, they say Putin has indicated that he is unwilling to budge and is seeking the same objectives as in 2022: the end of Ukraine as a sovereign state that is able to defend itself.<\/p>\n

Ukraine delegation to include senior ministers <\/p>\n

While the members of Ukraine\u2019s delegation in Istanbul have not been officially confirmed, the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilny said it would include Andrii Sybiha, the foreign minister, Rustem Umerov, the defence minister and the head of the president\u2019s office, Andrii Yermak.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, President Zelensky is expected to meet President Erdogan at about 11am UK time in Ankara.<\/p>\n

\"Andrii<\/p>\n

Andrii Sybiha with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, in Antalya on Thursday<\/p>\n

UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY\/ANADOLU\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

Putin\u2019s Istanbul snub tests Trump\u2019s patience<\/p>\n

President Putin is not known to be a gambling man, but his decision to dodge a summit with President Zelensky in Istanbul was a risky throw of the dice that could wreck the Kremlin\u2019s relations with President Trump. <\/p>\n

Yet it also underlines Putin\u2019s desire to keep on fighting in Ukraine, whatever the cost.<\/p>\n

It was, in truth, unlikely that even face-to-face talks between Putin and Zelensky in Turkey would result in a sustainable ceasefire, let alone an agreement to end the war, the biggest conflict in Europe for 80 years.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read in full: Putin\u2019s Istanbul peace talks snub will test Trump\u2019s patience<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Erdogan keen to burnish international reputation<\/p>\n

With all eyes on Turkey today, it is clear President Erdogan is keen to position himself as a peacemaker and international statesman.<\/p>\n

As a Nato member with strong ties to both Moscow and Kyiv, the country occupies a rare space for dialogue with both warring sides and the US. Local pro-government media have praised Erdogan\u2019s diplomacy, with headlines declaring Turkey a \u201cguarantor of peace\u201d and \u201cindispensable to global stability\u201d.<\/p>\n

Recent polling shows Turks increasingly view his international influence as a key strength.<\/p>\n

It comes at a good time for the Turkish leader, who may be looking to distract the public\u2019s attention from domestic affairs. The arrest and jailing of Erdogan\u2019s main political rival, the mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu, prompted the largest protests in a decade in March and April over what critics called a politically-motivated and anti-democratic crackdown.<\/p>\n

\"Protest<\/p>\n

A protest in March against the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul<\/p>\n

MURAD SEZER\/REUTERS<\/p>\n

Russia \u2018facing further US and EU sanctions\u2019<\/p>\n

The US and Europe are preparing further sanctions on Russia\u2019s energy and financial sectors, the French foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, said on Thursday as he met his Nato counterparts in Antalya.<\/p>\n

He posted on X: \u201cThe message is clear: ceasefire now \u2014 no conditions. If Russia continues, it chooses isolation and massive sanctions.\u201d<\/p>\n

His comments were echoed by Elina Valtonen, the Finnish foreign minister. \u201cWe have one chair empty, which is the chair of Vladimir Putin. So now I guess the entire world has realised that there\u2019s only one party not willing to engage in serious peace negotiations, and that certainly is Russia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Lammy criticises \u2018low-level\u2019 Russian delegation<\/p>\n

Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, said Moscow\u2019s delegation was in Istanbul and ready for \u201cserious work\u201d.<\/p>\n

This is despite David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, criticising Russia for sending a \u201clow-level\u201d delegation to Turkey.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe come with one single message to stand by Ukraine and to ensure that we get a just and lasting, enduring peace,\u201d Lammy said in Antalya, where Lammy is meeting his Nato counterparts.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd of course, we watched closely as we head to these talks, noting the Russian low-level individuals who are coming to represent the Russian side,\u201d added Lammy.<\/p>\n

Estonia, an EU and Nato member state that strongly backs Ukraine, said Putin was delivering a \u201cslap in the face\u201d by sending a junior team.<\/p>\n

Turkey hosting Nato and bilateral talks\"David<\/p>\n

David Lammy chats to his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, in Antalya on Thursday<\/p>\n

ERDEM SAHIN\/EPA<\/p>\n

The peace negotiations in Istanbul between the Ukrainian, Russian, and US delegations are not the only high-level diplomatic talks taking place in Turkey.<\/p>\n

Around 250 miles east in the Turkish capital Ankara, President Zelensky will meet President Erdogan this morning.<\/p>\n

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is to hold an informal meeting of Nato foreign ministers in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya. Rubio will be joined in Antalya by Nato chief Mark Rutte.<\/p>\n

On the sidelines of the Nato meeting, the Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, met on Wednesday with Rubio, who is also having separate talks with new German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul.<\/p>\n

Zelensky to decide on how to approach peace talks<\/p>\n

President Zelensky<\/a> will make a decision on how the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul should proceed with peace talks only after meeting President Erdogan of Turkey, a senior official told AFP.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president is starting his visit with Erdogan in Ankara, and only then will the president decide on the next steps,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n

Zelensky\u2019s plane is thought that have departed from Poland and is expected to land in Ankara at about 9am UK time, Ukrainian media reported. A meeting with Erdogan is believed to be scheduled for 11am UK time.<\/p>\n

Trump: Not possible for Putin to travel to Istanbul<\/p>\n

President Trump said he did not \u201cthink it was possible for\u201d President Putin to travel to Istanbul if the US leader was not there as well.<\/p>\n

In Qatar, on the second leg of his Middle East tour, Trump was asked about Putin\u2019s absence during today\u2019s peace talks in Qatar. \u201cWhy would he go if I\u2019m not going?\u201d Trump<\/a> responded, according to Sky News.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think it was possible for Putin to go if I\u2019m not there,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

Trump said he was willing to travel to Istanbul for peace talks \u201cif it is appropriate\u201d, adding: \u201cWe\u2019d like to see [the war] end and I think we have a chance of doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Trump speaking in Qatar<\/p>\n

ALEX BRANDON.AP<\/p>\n

Confusion over when talks will start <\/p>\n

There have been conflicting reports over when negotiations will begin. The Russian news agency Tass is now reporting the talks are expected \u201cnot in the morning, but closer to the second half of the day\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegation is thought not to be set to arrive in Istanbul until after President Zelensky meets Turkey\u2019s President Erdogan at about 11am UK time, according to Russian broadcaster Zvezda.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Erdogan welcomes President Zelensky to Ankara earlier this year<\/p>\n

TUR PRESIDENCY\/MURAT CETINMUHURDAR\/ANADOLU\/GETTY<\/p>\n

Russian continues to bomb Ukraine \"Destroyed<\/p>\n

Destroyed homes in Sumy on Wednesday<\/p>\n

SUMY REGIONAL MILITARY ADMINISTRATION\/TELEGRAM<\/p>\n

Three civilians were killed and six injured in Russian strikes on the Sumy region of Ukraine in the 24 hours ahead of peace talks in Istanbul, according to the Ukrainian armed forces.<\/p>\n

Kyiv said from the morning of Wednesday to the morning of Thursday, Russian troops carried out 150 attacks on 41 settlements in the region.<\/p>\n

Rubio \u2018will attend Istanbul talks\u2019<\/p>\n

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, whom President Trump claimed was planning to travel to Istanbul, said his boss was open to \u201cvirtually any mechanism\u201d that would result in a just peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Rubio, speaking ahead of an informal meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Ankara, said the US wanted to see progress made in the \u201cnext couple of days\u201d, adding there was no military solution to the conflict.<\/p>\n

Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine\u2019s foreign minister, met Rubio last night. Sybiha said on X he had \u201creaffirmed Ukraine\u2019s strong and consistent commitment to President Trump\u2019s peace efforts\u201d in the meeting, adding: \u201cIt is critical that Russia reciprocate Ukraine\u2019s constructive steps. So far, it has not. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n

Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceZelensky to hold talks with Erdogan<\/p>\n

President Zelensky will meet President Erdogan of Turkey at about 11am GMT in Ankara today, according to Ukrainian newspaper Stana.<\/p>\n

Zelensky will \u201cmost likely\u201d not take part in the negotiations, the outlet added.<\/p>\n

There has yet to be any official confirmation that the Ukrainian delegation will meet Russian officials in Istanbul. <\/p>\n

Nato chief \u2018cautiously optimistic\u2019 on peace talks\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Rutte in Turkey on Thursday<\/p>\n

OSMANCAN GURDOGAN\/ANADOLU\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

The head of Nato, Mark Rutte, said he was \u201ccautiously optimistic\u201d for progress towards peace in Ukraine but added that it was up to Russia to take the \u201cnecessary next steps\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still cautiously optimistic that if also the Russians are willing to play ball, and not only the Ukrainians are doing this \u2026 that you could get to some breakthroughs over the next couple of weeks,\u201d Rutte said at a Nato meeting in Turkey on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Putin hosts late-night meeting on Istanbul\"President<\/p>\n

President Putin in Moscow on Wednesday<\/p>\n

ALEXANDER KAZAKOV\/SPUTNIK\/KREMLIN\/AP<\/p>\n

President Putin held a late-night meeting with some of Russia\u2019s most powerful officials to discuss the upcoming peace talks with Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.<\/p>\n

A video circulated by Russian media shows Putin at the head of a long table, appearing to begin the meeting.<\/p>\n

Among those present was the defence minister, Andrei Belousov, chief of Russia\u2019s general staff, Valery Gerasimov, Security Council secretary, Sergei Shoigu, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, as well as spy chiefs and senior Russian commanders.<\/p>\n

Kyiv and Moscow remain worlds apart <\/p>\n

Despite the flurry of diplomacy and President Trump\u2019s call for a rapid end to the fighting, Moscow and Kyiv\u2019s demands remain far apart.<\/p>\n

Moscow has repeatedly insisted that it keep the territory in southern and eastern Ukraine that it annexed in 2022 \u2014 despite not having full control over it.<\/p>\n

Last year, Putin demanded Kyiv withdraw its forces from parts of those regions as a prerequisite to any peace settlement.<\/p>\n

Kyiv has said it will never recognise its occupied territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as Russian \u2014 as well as the Crimea peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014.<\/p>\n

Lavrov not named in Russian delegation<\/p>\n

A Russian delegation has arrived in Istanbul for talks with Ukraine, according to the country\u2019s state media.<\/p>\n

The junior delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister who is now a Kremlin aide. He was set to be accompanied by Alexander Fomin, a deputy defence minister.<\/p>\n

Both men also took part in unsuccessful talks between the two countries in Istanbul in 2022. Igor Kostyukov, a GRU military intelligence chief, is also in the Russian delegation.<\/p>\n

The foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov were not named in the Kremlin\u2019s delegation list.<\/p>\n

First Russia-Ukraine peace talks in 3 years\"President<\/p>\n

President Zelensky will represent his country in Istanbul<\/p>\n

EPA<\/p>\n

President Putin has declined to meet President Zelensky as Ukraine and Russia are set to go into their first direct negotiations since a failed effort in the weeks after Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion.<\/p>\n

Putin\u2019s absence will diminish the importance of the first talks in more than three years in Istanbul on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The Russian leader had proposed holding talks on May 15 in Istanbul as a counter-offer after Ukraine and European nations last week called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President Zelensky has described the Russian delegation of low-level officials, due to meet Ukrainian officials in Istanbul for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":103192,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7654],"tags":[2000,299,3576,256,2998,18041,332,47583,461,657,771,21151],"class_list":{"0":"post-103191","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ukraine","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-for","11":"tag-in","12":"tag-latest","13":"tag-peace","14":"tag-russia","15":"tag-talks","16":"tag-turkey","17":"tag-ukraine","18":"tag-war","19":"tag-zelensky"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114511215801630205","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103191\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}