Ukraine's Zelenskyy arrives in Turkey for talks with Russian delegation sent by no-show Putin

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: May 15, 2025 6:32 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent aides and lawman ministers to clasp bid talks with Ukraine successful Turkey connected Thursday, spurning Kyiv's situation to spell determination successful idiosyncratic to conscionable President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Putin past play projected nonstop negotiations with Ukraine successful Istanbul and Zelenskyy had said helium would beryllium waiting for the Kremlin leader.

But aft keeping the satellite guessing for days astir Putin's plans, the Kremlin precocious connected Wednesday named a lower-level delegation that did not see the president and was described by Kyiv's European allies arsenic a snub.

Zelenskyy's level landed astatine Esenboga Airport successful Ankara and helium was scheduled to conscionable Erdogan astatine 6 a.m. ET. He said that Ukraine would determine connected the adjacent steps successful talks with Russia aft his gathering with the Turkish president.

Zelenskiy told reporters that the level of the Russian delegation dipatched to Turkey for talks was "decorative."

Putin's no-show plunged prospects for the talks into confusion. Russia said they would instrumentality spot successful Istanbul successful the 2nd fractional of the day, but Turkey said nary gathering was scheduled yet.

"We request to recognize what benignant of level the Russian delegation is, and what mandate they person and whether they tin marque immoderate decisions," said Zelenskyy.

Washington watching closely

Zelenskiy had goaded Putin earlier this week by questioning if helium was brave capable to amusement up. The Kremlin says Putin —who is besides nether menace of adjacent tighter European sanctions to "suffocate" Russia's economy — does not respond to ultimatums.

The Russian delegation named by the Kremlin is headed by statesmanlike advisor Vladimir Medinsky and includes a lawman defence minister, a lawman overseas curate and the caput of the GRU subject quality agency.

The Kremlin said Putin had held a precocious nighttime gathering with ministers, subject commanders and spy chiefs to sermon the upcoming talks.

The warring sides past held face-to-face talks successful March 2022, lone weeks aft Putin sent his service into Ukraine, talks besides held successful Turkey.

Both are trying to amusement U.S. President Donald Trump they are superior astir peace, arsenic helium presses them to extremity what helium calls "this anserine war." Washington has threatened repeatedly to wantonness its diplomatic efforts to settee the struggle unless determination is wide progress.

Hundreds of thousands person been killed and wounded connected some sides successful the deadliest struggle successful Europe since the Second World War. Washington has threatened repeatedly to wantonness its mediation efforts unless determination is wide progress.

After leaning heavy connected Ukraine and clashing with Zelenskyy astatine a gathering successful the Oval Office successful February, Trump has shown expanding impatience with Putin successful caller weeks and threatened further sanctions to deed Russian trade.

Trump, who is connected a three-nation circuit of the Middle East, said connected Thursday helium would spell to the talks successful Turkey connected Friday "if it is appropriate."

Zelenskyy backs an contiguous 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has said helium archetypal wants to commencement talks astatine which the details of specified a truce could beryllium discussed.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking astatine a NATO gathering successful Turkey, said determination was nary subject solution to the conflict, and Trump was unfastened to "virtually immoderate mechanism" that would pb to peace.

Ukraine looks for information guarantees

With Russian forces successful power of adjacent to one-fifth of Ukraine, Putin has held accelerated to his longstanding demands for Kyiv to cede territory, wantonness its NATO rank ambitions and go a neutral country.

Ukraine rejects these presumption arsenic tantamount to capitulation, and is seeking guarantees of its aboriginal information from satellite powers, particularly the United States.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Zelenskyy had shown his bully religion by coming to Turkey but determination was an "empty chair" wherever Putin should beryllium sitting.

"Putin is stalling and intelligibly has nary tendency to participate these bid negotiations, adjacent erstwhile President Trump expressed his availability and his tendency to facilitate these negotiations," helium said.

Estonia, an EU and NATO subordinate which borders Russia, said Putin was delivering a "slap successful the face" by sending a low-level team.

Highlighting the level of hostility betwixt Russia and the U.S.-led alliance, Estonia said a Russian combatant pitchy had "violated NATO territory" arsenic the Estonian navy tried to detain a Russia-bound lipid tanker nether British sanctions.