Talks between Russia and Ukraine — two countries locked in a bloody conflict for more than a decade — are set to take place in Turkey on Friday, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin chose to skip the summit.
The Kremlin announced Thursday that Putin would not travel to Turkey after days of speculation he could show up for a meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
The US has played down expectations for a breakthrough but the fact that the two sides will be in the same room is significant.
Here is what we do – and don’t – know:
Who’s in Turkey? The Russian delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, Putin’s senior aide and a hardliner who led the Russian side during the last known direct talks between the two countries, in the spring of 2022.
The makeup of that Russian team was derided by Zelensky, who also won’t attend, having said he won’t meet any Russian official but Putin. “After learning the composition of the Russian delegation, it became clear that they are not approaching real talks seriously,” the Ukrainian president said.
But he added that, “out of respect” for US President Donald Trump and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he would send a team led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov – a higher-ranking official than the Russian side.
US presence: Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Istanbul after attending an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in the coastal city of Antalya earlier this week. Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is also there for talks although it is not expected there will be a three-way meeting between the US, Ukraine and Russia.
Trump weighs in: The US president, who urged Zelensky to meet Putin after the Russian leader suggested the talks, told reporters Thursday that when it comes to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, “nothing is going to happen until” he meets with Putin.
Germany threatens fresh sanctions: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Putin was in the wrong for not attending the talks in Istanbul, and said there was a fresh sanctions package ready to be placed on Moscow. “A new sanctions package is ready. We will adopt it in Brussels on Tuesday,” he wrote on X Friday morning.
How did we get here? Putin called for direct talks at the weekend, having rejected a call from Kyiv and its allies for a 30-day truce. Zelensky quickly said he was ready to meet, following it up by saying he would not meet any Russian official apart from Putin.
