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Türkiye remains hopeful that upcoming Russia–Ukraine negotiations will be held in Istanbul, but emphasizes that the agenda will be decided by the involved parties rather than the host country, a Turkish diplomatic source told Russian media outlet RIA Novosti.
"The agenda is to be determined by the parties themselves. Türkiye acts as a mediator, opens its doors to a resolution, and hopes the talks will end the bloodshed," the source said in response to questions about the substance of the potential Russia–Ukraine talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions, suggesting May 15 in Istanbul. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Russia is committed to seriously seeking a long-term peaceful settlement. "The goals of the proposed negotiations with Ukraine are to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and to safeguard Russia’s interests," Peskov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a recent social media statement, reaffirmed his support for diplomacy but criticized what he described as Moscow’s lack of engagement.
"Ukraine has always supported diplomacy. I am ready to come to Türkiye. Unfortunately, the world still has not received a clear response from Russia to the numerous proposals for a ceasefire. Russian shelling and assaults continue. Moscow has remained silent all day regarding the proposal for a direct meeting.
A very strange silence. One way or another, Russia will have to end this war—and the sooner, the better. There is no sense in continuing the killing. President Erdogan has expressed full readiness to host the meeting. It is important that President Trump fully supports the meeting, and we would like him to find an opportunity to come to Türkiye."
Zelenskyy had earlier stated he would await President Putin’s arrival in Türkiye on Thursday, provided that a ceasefire could be agreed upon by May 12, conditions Moscow previously labeled as unacceptable.
According to U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Stephen Witkoff, who spoke to Breitbart before Russia’s proposal, likely agenda items for the talks could include territorial control, the status of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine’s access to the Dnipro River, and its maritime corridor to the Black Sea.
"I think if the U.S. pulls back from this conflict, in other words, doesn’t want to be involved with it and says it’s not my war and I’ve tried to do my best, I think that’s a bad result for everybody. It’s bad for the Europeans, it’s bad for the Ukrainians, and I don’t think it’s good for the Russians. I think the Russians actually do want a peaceful settlement, and both sides are trying to figure out what that means for them. Our job is to put them in a room together and show them that the alternatives to a peaceful resolution here are bad for everybody. That’s our job," he said.
"The president has said, and we believe in what he has said, it’s a stupid war. It didn’t need to happen," Witkoff told Breitbart News.
"It would not have happened if there hadn’t been a false election, and he was president. So, I think that we have to put everybody in a room. Solutions work when there are direct talks. We need to get the Ukrainians and the Russians at the same table. Now, this has been a vicious war — they don’t like each other. We have to change that. We have to get everybody thinking that the responsible way to address this is a diplomatic solution. If that’s what you want, if you, Russia, want that, if you believe in the upsides for your society in ending this war, and you, Ukraine, want it too, we need to get you physically into a room. And I’ve offered to go spend as much time as they want and mediate that. What we’re suggesting is direct talks between the two parties sooner rather than later."
"I think the major issues here are the regions, the nuclear plant, and how the Ukrainians are able to use the Dnieper River and get out to the ocean," Witkoff said.
"There are things here that I don’t think are going to be difficult to solve if we get the parties to the table, they’re talking to each other, we’re narrowing issues between them, and then we’re coming up with compromises and creative solutions to address each of their concerns. We physically get that accomplished, and I think, hopefully, we’ll have some good news soon, but if we physically get that accomplished, we have, in my view, a strong chance of getting an end to this conflict," he concluded.
Trump has urged Kyiv to immediately accept Putin’s offer to negotiate in Türkiye. “Such negotiations will at least determine whether a deal is possible,” the American leader said.
Witkoff previously indicated that Trump had issued what he called an “ultimatum” to both sides, stressing that if the talks do not proceed, the United States may step back from the conflict.
Konstantin Blokhin, senior research fellow at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Center for Security Studies, told RIA Novosti that the Istanbul meeting could result in the U.S. pulling out of the negotiation process. "Trump has other priorities: containing China and Iran, supporting Israel, trade wars, and correcting trade imbalances," Blokhin said.
He added that if the U.S. withdraws, Kyiv could lose half of its Western support: "If Washington exits the conflict, Ukraine risks being left without half of its Western aid."
Blokhin said the shift toward Türkiye as the mediator indicates growing fatigue in Washington: "The U.S. is losing patience and trying to shift the peace process onto Türkiye, which has already played a mediating role. They are getting tired of Ukraine."
Blokhin concluded that the success of any negotiations will ultimately depend on the willingness of the parties involved,
"No matter how skillful the moderator is, Ukraine and the West either don’t want to negotiate or want to do so on terms unacceptable to Moscow. Ukraine is demonstrating only a desire to continue the fight."
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