Kremlin rules out Putin's visit to Turkey for talks with Zelensky
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not visit Istanbul for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 15, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed.
The Kremlin withheld confirmation of whether President Putin would travel to Turkey until the last moment. It released the delegation list late on May 14, but the Russian leader was not included.
The Russian delegation is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. It also consist of Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Military Intelligence Director Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
In the meantime, Zelensky arrived in Ankara to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Ukrainian delegation is of the "highest level," he said, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, representatives of the military and the Presidential Office, and heads of "all intelligence agencies."
Previously, Ukraine's president insisted on a meeting only with Putin to discuss an unconditional ceasefire and an all-for-all prisoner exchange.
It remains unclear whether the Ukrainian and Russian delegations will hold any negotiations. Zelensky said he would make further decisions about the talks in Turkey after meeting with Erdogan.
Martin Fornusek
