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The Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul on Thursday for peace talks with Ukraine, according to Russian state media TASS.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be joining the peace talks despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.
"I would go to Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul on Friday if it is appropriate," Trump said Thursday.
The absence of Putin—as well as any top diplomats like Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov or foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov—has seemingly diminished the talks' importance or any possibility of a breakthrough, according to some experts.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed optimism Thursday that Turkish-hosted peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia could open "a new chapter" after "three years of immense suffering."
Speaking at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya, Fidan emphasized Türkiye's long-standing commitment to diplomatic solutions while highlighting the need for a security network spanning from Texas to Ankara.
The gathering addressed strengthening NATO's unified approach to multiple security challenges.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte underscored the importance of enhancing alliance capabilities through increased defense spending and industrial production while ensuring fair burden-sharing among member nations.
The Antalya meeting, ahead of next month's NATO summit in The Hague, reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to the alliance, with Fidan noting Türkiye's hosting of the 2026 summit demonstrates its "steadfast commitment" to NATO's principles.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Thursday at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, accompanied by high-ranking officials from both nations.
The closed-door meeting, followed by a working lunch between the delegations, comes ahead of expected Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations.
Zelenskyy arrived at Ankara's Esenboga Airport at 12:14 p.m. local time and was greeted by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and officials attending a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya.
According to Türkiye's Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, the leaders discussed the latest developments in the ongoing conflict from all angles, with Erdogan emphasizing Türkiye's call for an immediate ceasefire and the start of peace talks between the warring nations.
NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya, Türkiye, presented a united front in calling for an "immediate" and "unconditional" cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine ahead of planned peace talks in Istanbul.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned of "massive sanctions" if Russia continues to refuse negotiations while noting an "empty chair" awaiting President Putin.
Several ministers highlighted the contrast between Ukraine's willingness to participate and Russia's apparent hesitation, with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stating that "the entire world has realized that there's only one party not willing to engage in serious peace negotiations."
As Türkiye positions itself as a diplomatic mediator, ministers also stressed the need for increased European defense spending and cautioned against repeating mistakes from previous failed negotiations.
Russia launched a series of verbal attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, calling him a "clown," "loser," and "pathetic" just hours before peace negotiations were set to begin in Türkiye.
The harsh rhetoric from top Russian officials comes after Zelenskyy criticized Moscow's delegation as "dummy" and demanded that Putin personally attend the Istanbul talks.
"Who uses the word 'dummy'? A clown? A loser? Someone with no education whatsoever," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during her weekly briefing from Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov echoed these sentiments in a televised address to diplomats, dismissing Zelenskyy's request for Putin's attendance at the talks.
"At first, Zelenskyy made some kind of statements that demanded that Putin come personally. Well, a pathetic person," Lavrov stated.
Zelenskyy plans to meet his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara on Thursday. Zelenskyy said he had the impression Russia sent a "dummy" delegation with an unclear mandate to Türkiye for the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in over three years.
"We need to understand the level of the Russian delegation and what their mandate is, if they are capable of making any decisions themselves," Zelenskyy said, adding that "from what we see, it looks more like a dummy".
He added that Ukraine would "think about what we will do, what our steps will be, after we talk to Erdogan."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Washington was "impatient" for progress in peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia and was willing to consider "any mechanism" to achieve a lasting end to the war.
"So a lot of work. We remain committed to that.
Obviously, like everyone else, we're impatient; we want to see it happen, but it's difficult. But you know, hopefully progress will be made here soon," Rubio said at a NATO meeting in Türkiye's Antalya.
According to TASS, the Russian delegation is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and joined by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, General Staff Operations Chief Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin.
The expert contingent includes Deputy Head of the General Staff’s Information Directorate Alexander Zorin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Humanitarian Policy Department Yevgeniya Podobreyevskaya, Head of the CIS Department at the Foreign Ministry Alexander Polishchuk, and Deputy Head of International Military Cooperation Vladimir Shevtsov. Medinsky also chaired Russia’s delegation during the 2022 talks.
Putin held a meeting with his foreign and defense ministers as well as intelligence and military chiefs ahead of peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, the Kremlin said Thursday.
"Before the departure of our delegation to Istanbul yesterday evening, President Putin held a meeting on preparations for the upcoming negotiations with the Ukrainian side," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.
The Wednesday night gathering was attended by members of the Russian negotiating team, as well as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Russian Guard head Viktor Zolotov, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov, said Peskov.
Putin on Wednesday signed an order on the composition of his country’s delegation for the direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday.
The order, which was posted on the Kremlin website, said the delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and will also include Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Russian General Staff Director Main Intelligence Directorate head Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
The statement also mentioned experts for the negotiations. During the Istanbul peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022, a draft peace agreement was agreed upon, but the Ukrainian side withdrew from the negotiation process.
According to the head of the Ukrainian delegation at those talks, David Arakhamia, this was done on the advice of Boris Johnson, who was then Britain’s prime minister.
Russia's military has seized control of two additional villages in eastern Ukraine, according to an announcement made Thursday by the Russian defense ministry.
The captured settlements, Torskoye and Novooleksandrivka, are located in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, an area that has seen intense fighting throughout the conflict.
The Russian army shared the territorial advance via social media platforms, timing the announcement just as Ukrainian and Russian officials prepared for peace negotiations scheduled to take place in Türkiye.
These latest territorial gains come during a particularly sensitive diplomatic moment, with the upcoming Türkiye-hosted talks representing another attempt to find a path toward de-escalation in a conflict that has stretched on for years.
According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources examined by Türkiye Today, there is no scheduled time for the talks yet, and therefore, no postponement is in question. A Russian delegation at the technical level is currently in Istanbul, and some U.S. officials are also present in the city.
Zelenskyy will soon meet with the Turkish president in Ankara. Meanwhile, the NATO foreign ministers' meeting continues in Antalya, where Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is currently stationed.
Details to follow...
3 min read
