Zelensky sends Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul, as peace talks with Russia are expected on May 16

Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced during a press conference on May 15 that he will not personally participate in the upcoming negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, instead sending a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Speaking in Ankara, Zelensky clarified that Ukraine's delegation would not include the head of the General Staff, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), as it was previously suggested.

Among other members of Ukraine's delegation are First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya, Deputy SBU Chief Oleksandr Poklad, Military Intelligence Deputy Head Vadym Skibitskyi, as well as other national security and intelligence officials. The delegation will engage with representatives from Turkey, the United States, and Russia.

A ceasefire, according to Zelensky, remains a key priority.

"Out of respect for President Trump, the high level of the Turkish delegation, and President Erdogan, and since we want to try to achieve at least the first steps toward de-escalation, an end to the war – namely a ceasefire – I have decided to send our delegation to Istanbul," Zelensky said.

After Moscow proposed to hold peace talks in Turkey this week, Zelensky agreed and invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting. The Russian leader declined to attend and appointed his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the talks.

"We see that they, unfortunately, are very unserious about real negotiations. So far, we do not see any real decision-makers among those present," Zelensky said at the press conference.

Zelensky said that, under the current circumstances, he sees no reason for his or certain other top officials’ presence in Istanbul, given that Putin declined to attend.

"Russia has once again demonstrated that it is not determined to end the war by sending a delegation of representatives of a rather weak level. Moreover, such a Russian approach is a manifestation of disrespect for the world, for all partners. We are waiting for a clear and strong reaction from the partners," Zelensky wrote on Telegram following his press conference in Ankara.

Zelensky noted that while he will not join the talks, Ukraine will fully participate in the agreed formats and remains open to dialogue.

"We will definitely hold meetings with the American, Turkish, and Ukrainian groups — that meeting will take place. We also plan to meet with the Russian side, and I hope it happens, that it’s not just for show," Zelensky said. "We are still waiting for our Turkish and American partners to confirm the time — whether the meeting will happen later today or tomorrow. Our team will be there tomorrow as well."

Meanwhile, the head of the Russian delegation, Medinsky, told reporters on May 15 that Moscow is entering the Istanbul talks with clear directives from Putin.

"The president has set our objectives and defined our negotiating position," Medinsky said, adding that the Russian team is "fully authorized to conduct negotiations." According to him, Russia's aim is "to achieve lasting peace by addressing the root causes of the conflict."

Russia has repeatedly insisted that any peace agreement must include a permanent ban on Ukraine’s NATO membership, demilitarization of the country, and constitutional changes reinstating the role of the Russian language, culture, and religious organizations.

The initial round of Istanbul talks took place in late March 2022, when negotiators first outlined potential terms for a peace agreement.

In the three years since the failed talks, Russian propaganda networks have frequently pushed the narrative that peace was almost achieved in Istanbul, before Western leaders, in particular then-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, allegedly pressured Zelensky to reject the deal and continue fighting.

In reality, leaked documents from 2022 show that Moscow’s first peace offer amounted to Ukraine’s effective surrender.

Earlier on May 15, Zelensky and Erdogan held a nearly three-hour closed-door meeting in the Turkish capital, ahead of the planned peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.

Zelensky previously met Erdogan in Ankara in February, during which the two leaders reportedly discussed Turkey's potential participation in a peacekeeping force after a ceasefire.

Erdogan has maintained close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow during the full-scale war, positioning Turkey as a mediator in the war.

In 2022, Istanbul hosted the unsuccessful — and so far, the only — direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since the full-scale invasion. Turkey also helped to broker a Black Sea grain deal that allowed safe maritime shipment until Russia pulled out of the agreement in 2023.

Zelensky decries Russia’s ‘sham’ delegation ahead of potential peace talks in Turkey

“We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own,” Zelensky said.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova