Putin is not going to go back and forth to Istanbul for peace talks with Zelenskyy, Kremlin confirms

Vladimir Putin is not going to go back and forth to Istanbul for talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Kremlin has stated, rejecting the Ukrainian president’s daring proposal for a face-to-face assembly in Turkey to talk about peace.

In a remark overdue on Wednesday, the Kremlin stated its delegation can be led through Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline Putin aide who led the one earlier spherical of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.

Shortly after the Kremlin’s announcement, a US legitimate stated Donald Trump would additionally skip the talks. Trump had up to now advised he would go back and forth to Turkey provided that Putin have been provide.

Medinsky, the ultra-conservative former Russian tradition minister, shall be joined in Istanbul through a deputy defence minister, Alexander Fomin, a deputy overseas minister, Mikhail Galuzin, and Igor Kostyukov, the top of Russia’s army intelligence company.

Russia’s resolution to nominate Medinsky to steer the talks suggests it targets to restore negotiations alongside the traces of the fruitless 2022 Istanbul spherical, which integrated maximalist calls for similar to proscribing Ukraine’s army and blockading it from rebuilding with western fortify – phrases Kyiv has rejected as unacceptable.

Notably, the Kremlin isn’t sending its two maximum senior diplomats, Yuri Ushakov and Sergei Lavrov, who’ve up to now taken section in a couple of high-level talks with america in Saudi Arabia.

Pressure had constructed on Putin to wait the talks since Zelenskyy after which Trump known as on him to go back and forth to Istanbul to talk about a possible peace deal.

Zelenskyy challenged Putin to a private assembly in Turkey after the Russian chief used an sudden late-night Kremlin cope with to name for direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul.

Much remains to be unclear about Thursday’s talks, which might be taking over rising significance amid escalating rhetoric and strategic posturing through Russia and Ukraine.

Zelenskyy used to be en path to Ankara on Wednesday night time, the place he’s scheduled to fulfill the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on Thursday, in line with his aides.

The Ukrainian chief stated he can be in a position to fly to Istanbul at a second’s understand if the Russian chief confirmed up. “If Putin does not arrive, and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war,” he stated on Tuesday.

Late on Wednesday, Ukraine’s overseas minister, Andrii Sybiha, posted on social media photos of a gathering in Turkey with america secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and america senator Lindsey Graham. Sybiha stated the 3 males met to “further peace efforts and coordinate positions during this critical week”.

He added: “It is critical that Russia reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps. So far, it has not. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost.”

Trump had up to now advised Zelenskyy to just accept the be offering of negotiations and stated he was hoping Putin would attend.

On Wednesday america chief had stated there used to be a “possibility” he would divert to the rustic if the Russian president used to be there. Trump, alternatively, famous that he used to be scheduled to be within the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, at the 3rd and ultimate leg of his Gulf excursion. But, when requested about visiting Turkey, he added: “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives.”

Brazil and China, that have heat ties with Moscow, additionally sponsored talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Speaking at a press convention in Beijing, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, stated he would push Putin to participate within the talks with Zelenskyy. “I’ll try to talk to Putin,” Lula stated, including that he deliberate to go back and forth to Moscow. “It costs me nothing to say: ‘Hey, comrade Putin, go to Istanbul and negotiate, dammit.’”

Brazil and China had issued a joint remark on Tuesday calling for direct negotiations because the “only way to end the conflict”.

Putin and Zelenskyy have met handiest as soon as, in 2019, and Moscow has time and again portrayed the Ukrainian chief as illegitimate.

In Istanbul, Ukraine is predicted to name for a complete 30-day ceasefire as a kick off point for additional talks.

Moscow has constantly rejected prolonged ceasefire proposals, arguing they might give Ukraine time to rearm and regroup at a second when Russian forces are advancing at the battlefield.

Russian officers have indicated they’ll press for maximalist calls for in Istanbul, very similar to the ones made all through the failed spherical of talks in Turkey in spring 2022.

European leaders have promised to extend power on Russia if the talks in Turkey failed, however the query stays whether or not they are able to carry Trump onboard with their efforts to tighten the screws on Moscow.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Wednesday that there should no longer be any agreement in Ukraine within the type of a “dictated peace” from Moscow.

Addressing parliament, Merz warned of “militarily created facts against Ukraine’s will”, telling lawmakers it used to be “of paramount importance that the political West does not allow itself to be divided”.