KYIV and MOSCOW — Hopes for substantive talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine faded on Thursday, after days of intense speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin and perhaps even President Trump would attend.
Only one leader — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — showed up in Turkey. He last met Putin face-to-face in 2019. Now he has accused the Russian leader of being afraid to meet again as Russia continues to attack Ukraine.
In a decision only made public on the eve of the talks, Putin named a group of mid-level technocrats to lead the Russian delegation. The Kremlin's spokesman later confirmed that Putin would not be joining them.
Speaking from the tarmac after arriving Thursday in Turkey's capital, Ankara, Zelenskyy told reporters that Putin was sending "stand-in props" in his place.
"We need to understand the level of the Russian delegation, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making any decisions on their own," Zelenskyy said. "Because we all know who makes the decisions in Russia."
Yet the head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, insisted his team had come to Turkey informed of the Kremlin's positions and with full authority to negotiate.
"The goal of direct talks with the Ukrainian side is to sooner or later establish a long-term peace that takes into account the roots of the conflict," Medinsky said to a scrum of reporters outside the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
There was one catch: Zelenskyy and most of the Ukrainian delegation were still in Ankara, nearly 300 miles away.
Zelenskyy later confirmed he would send his team to meet with the Russians in Istanbul, though the exact start date of the discussions remained unclear. Zelenskyy himself will not take part in the discussions.
Putin called for direct talks. Zelenskyy challenges him to meet in person
Putin proposed direct talks with Ukraine in a surprise announcement to foreign journalists at the Kremlin Sunday — an apparent counteroffer to an ultimatum by Ukraine and its Western allies to agree to an immediate 30-day ceasefire by May 12 or face further sanctions.
Putin did not address the ceasefire proposal, but suggested the two sides instead gather in Istanbul, which hosted failed negotiations between Russia and Ukraine back in 2022.
It was unclear whether Putin himself ever intended to take part.
Zelenskyy committed to attend the negotiations — and challenged Putin to do the same.
President Trump, currently traveling in the Middle East, also said he was open to making an appearance — inflating hopes the Kremlin leader might accept.
Yet, speaking from Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, Trump reversed course. Trump said he'd never given a commitment to attend and didn't think Putin would go "if I don't go."
"And that turned out to be right," added Trump. "But we have people there."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Antalya, Turkey, for a NATO summit, and could join the talks.
Trump also left the door open to engaging with the talks at a later date "if it was appropriate" — adding that "nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together" in terms of securing a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
This is a developing story, which may be updated.
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