Moscow's goal in the expected peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is achieving "sustainable peace" by addressing the "root causes of the conflict" rather than a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 15.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began in Ankara on May 15, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reported.
"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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send junior aides for peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is like a "slap in the face," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15.
A plane with the Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul for planned peace talks with Ukraine, pro-state news agency Interfax reported on May 15, citing sources in aviation services.
Nariman Dzhelial, deputy chair of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, was released in a prisoner exchange with Russia on June 28, 2024.
"We discussed in detail the logic of further steps and shared our approaches... It is critical that Russia reciprocate Ukraine's constructive steps. So far, it has not. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend Ukraine-Russia peace talks to be held on May 15, an unnamed U.S. official said.
The Kremlin unveiled its delegation for Ukraine-Russia peace talks in a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 14. Putin was not on the list of delegates, nor were any other top-ranking Russian officials.
"I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Key developments on May 14: * Trump says he's unsure whether Putin will attend Ukraine peace talks in Turkey as Kremlin stays silent * Russia likely preparing major offensive in Ukraine despite peace efforts, FT reports * Trump needs to understand that Putin lies, blocks peace efforts, Zelensky says * EU agrees on 17th
Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
"Our people are going to be going there," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will travel to Istanbul for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on May 13, citing three undisclosed sources.
Russia will announce its representative for the expected talks in Istanbul once Putin "deems it necessary," the Kremlin said.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
"There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to to Antalya, Turkey, for a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting from May 14–16, where he is expected to address the war in Ukraine and push for stronger Allied defense commitments.
The Kremlin said the leaders held a detailed discussion about the Russian initiative and Erdogan expressed full support, reiterating Turkey’s readiness to provide a venue and assist in organizing the negotiations.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
Ushakov’s comments follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 11 invitation for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul starting May 15.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
"I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous, but deadly, war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 5.
Negotiations on Black Sea security are underway in Ankara and could shape the region’s post-war stability, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during an April 15 press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa.
The meeting will focus on upholding peace in the Black Sea after a potential ceasefire, sources from Turkey's defense ministry told regional media outlets.
The consultations between Washington and Moscow will be held in a closed format, TASS wrote, citing an unnamed source.
"It will be extremely difficult to digest any proposal," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. "But when we look at the other option, which is more death and destruction, I think whatever the conditions that we have... will be more reasonable."
"They were hit with batons, also had their RT signs ripped off, had their gas masks smashed, then tear gas was sprayed in their direction," the outlet's Telegram channel said.
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