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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russian officials will not attend the Ukraine–Türkiye talks scheduled in Istanbul on Wednesday, adding that Moscow will "wait for information" about the discussions, indicating that it remains interested in the outcome despite its absence.
"There will be no Russian representatives in Türkiye tomorrow," Peskov told reporters during a press briefing in Moscow. He added that the format of the talks continues the trend of discussions taking place without input from Russia.
Despite not being included, Peskov reiterated Moscow’s stated willingness to engage in negotiations. "Russia continues to remain open to the negotiation process. Our position is well known—both in Istanbul and in Kyiv," he said.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced via Telegram that he would travel to Türkiye to "intensify negotiations" aimed at resolving the conflict. He said he would be presenting "worked-out solutions," with a particular focus on prisoner exchanges. He did not specify his interlocutors or the exact terms of his proposals.
While official confirmation of the participants remains limited, media reports suggest that U.S. Special Envoy Steven Witkoff is expected to attend the talks in Istanbul alongside Turkish counterparts.
Peskov noted, "Apparently, Zelenskyy was referring to the contacts that will take place tomorrow in Istanbul—these are Zelenskyy's contacts with our Turkish friends, who will probably be joined by Mr. Witkoff."
Peskov clarified that there are currently no scheduled discussions involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, either with U.S. or Turkish officials, but left the door open should the outcomes of the meeting warrant communication.
"If any of the people you mentioned deem it necessary to inform the Russian side, of course, President Putin will be open to conversation," he said.
According to the Kremlin, Kyiv has yet to respond to Russia’s prior peace proposals or signal a formal readiness to restart talks. Peskov emphasized that Moscow cannot evaluate Zelenskyy’s new initiative without knowing its content.
“So far, we can't see anything in this step because we don't know what it's about. When we find out, we'll be able to tell whether we're seeing something or not," he concluded.
Türkiye has previously hosted multiple rounds of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in İstanbul, aimed primarily at securing humanitarian agreements amid the ongoing war.
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