Russia on Wednesday released a list of officials attending Turkey's peace talks with Ukraine. However, Keyman has gone missing: President Vladimir V. Putin.
The lack of a list of Russian leaders who ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 when the war began was a strong indication that Putin would not be face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymia Zelensky, whom he called him a murderer this week. The Kremlin said Putin himself had signed the delegation.
President Trump, who began calling for peace talks before reclaiming the White House, said he would consider attending a meeting in Türkiye.
“I was actually thinking about flying over there,” Trump told reporters at a White House press conference on Monday.
But on Wednesday, Trump, who is on a tour of the three Middle Eastern countries, indicated he would also skip consultations and instead visit the UAE as planned. However, he said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be present.
“We're all booked tomorrow, you know that,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “Tomorrow we're going to the UAE, so we have a very complete situation. Now that doesn't mean I won't do it to save a lot of lives and come back. But yeah, I've been thinking about it.”
Putin's Trump added: “If I wasn't there, I don't know he'd be there. We're going. Marco went and Marco was very effective.” With Rubio, Trump's special missions, Stephen Witkov and Keith Kellogg, were expected to travel to Turkey.
In a social media post Wednesday, Zelensky said he was “waiting to see who's coming from Russia” before deciding what steps Ukraine should take regarding peace talks. He also urged “strongest” Western sanctions against Russia if Putin refused to meet.
The Kremlin said the Russian delegation will be led by Putin's hard-wired aide, Vladimir Medinsky. It also includes Deputy Minister Alexander Fomin, who was part of the Russian delegation held between Moscow and Kiev in the weeks following the 2022 invasion. Other Senior Military and Intelligence Auditors.
Since World War II, interests have not been high for both of Europe's largest land wars.
After more than three years of war, Putin's attitude is that Russia is victorious on the battlefield. However, analysts estimate that Moscow lost hundreds of thousands of troops to death and injury. Its soldiers and brigades are so exhausted that they have been converted to North Korea for the military, and Moscow is struggling to replace the destroyed equipment, analysts say.
The Ukrainian forces, which had a bold invasion of Russia's Kursk region in August 2024, have been brought out almost entirely. They are also steadily losing ground in their east. As Trump calls for peace talks, Kiev emphasizes that security guarantees from the United States are necessary. Last month, Ukraine even signed an agreement to give the US a share of future revenues from rare earth mineral reserves. However, the final agreement did not include any express warranty for future US security assistance.
Due to increased pressure on peace, the White House said in March that Ukraine and Russia agreed to stop fighting in the Black Sea and work on details to stop the strike at energy facilities. After a meeting was held in Saudi Arabia later that month, Ukraine said it would support the Trump administration's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. It gave new momentum to halt negotiations that had been packed after the public conflict in the White House between Zelensky and Trump.
Then, in April, Putin declared a “Easter Certain Fire” and ordered his troops to “stop all military activities” against Ukraine for the holidays. It was clearly intended to show the Trump administration panicked that Moscow was still open to peace talks. Zelensky said Ukraine would adhere to the truce as Russia did, but Kiev said Moscow had broken his truce.
After Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Russia's refusal to stop the war, Putin ordered a three-day ceasefire to begin on May 8 to mark the May 9th celebration of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Zelensky described the pledge as “manipulation.”
The UK and France have pledged to convene a “coalition of will” to secure a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. Then, a coalition of European allies gave Russia a deadline this month that agreed to face a 30-day ceasefire and new sanctions.
In a social media post on Wednesday, the Ukrainian president said he was “ready for all forms of negotiation” with Turkey's Russia.
“Russia will only extend the war and murder,” Zelensky added. “I would like to thank all the leaders who are currently putting pressure on Russia.
Sicily Wedgworth and Neil McFarker Reports of contributions.
