Extremely anticipated talks between Russia and Ukraine – two international locations locked in a bloody battle for greater than a decade – might nonetheless happen in Turkey on Thursday, whilst Russian President Vladimir Putin selected to skip the summit.
The Kremlin introduced on Thursday that Putin wouldn’t journey to Turkey after days of hypothesis that the Russian chief might present up for a gathering with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Delegations from each Russia and Ukraine are at present in Turkey, though there was no official affirmation on when or whether or not they would meet.
Here’s what we do – and don’t – know:
Timings disputed: The Russian state information company Tass reported earlier on Thursday that the talks had been set to begin in Istanbul at 10 a.m. native time, a report that was dismissed by the Ukrainians as “pretend information.”
The spokesperson for the Russian Overseas Ministry Maria Zakharova then stated the assembly was postponed to the afternoon – an announcement disputed by the hosts, the Turkish authorities, which stated no talks had been formally scheduled and subsequently couldn’t have been postponed.
Who’s in Turkey? The Russian delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, Putin’s senior aide and a hardliner who led the Russian facet over the last identified direct talks between the 2 international locations within the spring of 2022.
The Ukrainian Overseas Ministry stated on Thursday morning that Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha had arrived to Ankara. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is within the Turkish capital the place he’s assembly the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Ukrainian chief stated he would decide on whether or not to journey to Istanbul after assembly Erdogan.
US presence: A number of prime US officers are additionally in Turkey. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived to the coastal metropolis of Antalya on Wednesday. He’s attending a casual assembly of the NATO international ministers there.
Trump’s particular envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and his international envoy Steve Witkoff each plan to be in Istanbul for the talks, a senior Trump administration official stated on Tuesday, an announcement confirmed by one other supply conversant in the plans.
Trump weighs in: US President Donald Trump, who urged Zelensky to satisfy Putin after the Russian chief prompt the talks, instructed reporters on Thursday that with regards to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, “nothing goes to occur till” he meets with Putin.
How did we get right here? Putin known as for direct talks on the weekend, having rejected a name from Kyiv its allies for a 30-day truce. Zelensky shortly stated he was prepared to satisfy, following it up by saying that he wouldn’t meet another Russian official other than Putin.
