Despite calling for direct negotiations, there is an indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not join the delegation heading to Turkey to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for peace talks. Shortly after the report, the U.S. President Donald Trump also dropped off the talk.
The Russian government recently released the list of officials who would attend the upcoming talk. Although presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin’s name are among the list, Putin’s name was not on it.
Back on Sunday, it was Putin himself who proposed direct talks with Ukraine. Zelenskiy has confirmed his participation and also challenged the Russian leader to join in. If accepted, it would be the first time since December 2019 the two leaders meet each other face-to-face.
Following the announcement, the U.S. official also stated that President Trump, who was recently offered to join the talks, would not attend. The confirmed attending officials are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.
These developments have disappointed many as the meeting between the three nation leaders may create a major breakthrough in the peace progress.
As of now, Zelenskiy and his team are heading to Turkey. Still, the Ukraine president may not attend as he previously mentioned that he would only take part if Putin did.
Regarding the talk details, there may be a discussion about an immediate 30-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange. The U.S. also mentioned financial and secondary sanctions against Russia as Trump has become more frustrated in the slow progress toward peace settlement.
Furthermore, Russia did speak of the failed draft deal back in 2022. One of the proposals, according to Reuters, stated that Ukraine must stay permanently neutral in return for security guarantees from several powerful countries, including U.N. Security Council’s five permanent members. However, the Ukraine official stated that agreeing to neutrality is non-negotiable.
