ISTANBUL, May 15, 2025 — The first formal Ukraine-Russia peace talks in three years are underway in Istanbul, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending, the Kremlin has confirmed.

Despite repeated calls by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a direct meeting, the Russian delegation is being led by longtime aide Vladimir Medinsky, alongside senior officials from Russia’s foreign, defense, and intelligence services.

🔑 Key Points:

• Putin absent: Kremlin says he will not join the talks despite Ukraine’s offer.

• Zelenskyy insists: He will only negotiate directly with Putin, not his subordinates.

• Symbolic setting: Talks return to Istanbul, where a now-defunct 2022 draft agreement was once negotiated.

• U.S. involvement: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys have arrived in Turkey to support mediation.

• Trump weighs in: President Donald Trump, seeking a diplomatic breakthrough, signaled he may personally travel to Istanbul and is backing both the ceasefire and Putin’s call to resume talks.

• Zelenskyy meets Erdogan: The Ukrainian leader will confer with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.

🕰️ Context:

The last serious attempt at diplomacy took place in March 2022, when the Istanbul Communiqué proposed Ukrainian neutrality in exchange for security guarantees. Talks fell apart amid evidence of Russian war crimes and a worsening battlefield situation.

Now, three years later, Russia appears to be pushing to resume talks from the 2022 framework, while Ukraine and Western allies insist on updated terms that reflect Russia’s military setbacks.

🗣️ What They’re Saying:

• Zelenskyy: “Everything in Russia depends on the president… I am ready to meet Putin.”

• Rubio: “This war will not end militarily. Diplomacy is the only path forward.”

• Trump: “We might have some good news today or tomorrow… if I can help stop the war, I’ll consider going [to Istanbul].”

🚨 Outlook:

Experts remain cautious. Oleg Ignatov of the International Crisis Group noted that Russia is still trying to maintain both military and diplomatic pressure. “These will be long negotiations, and Ukraine should be prepared for that.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, after meeting with Rubio, reaffirmed Kyiv’s “commitment to President Trump’s peace efforts” but warned: “Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost.”