[Text/Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] Russia and Ukraine will hold their first direct negotiations since 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. However, the scene of a meeting between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States will not take place. A statement from former U.S. President Trump has also lowered expectations for the talks.
According to a report by the UK's Financial Times on the 15th, before arriving at the third stop of his Middle East tour, Dubai, Trump stated on Air Force One that no progress would be made in the talks before he met with Russian President Putin.
"Listen, nothing will happen until Putin and I meet," Trump said, adding that Putin "wouldn't go unless the U.S. president also attends."
Subsequently, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio also expressed agreement with Trump's remarks, saying that the U.S. did not have high expectations for what would happen tomorrow.
He made these comments while attending the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Turkey, stating that the U.S. had expected direct contact between the two sides of Ukraine and Russia.
"That's not how it is, or even if there is contact, it hasn't reached our expectations." Rubio believed that before Trump and Putin sat down face-to-face to determine Russia's demands, breakthroughs in the peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would be difficult to achieve.
On May 15, 2025, Doha, Qatar, U.S. President Trump visited Al Udeid Air Base. IC Photo.
Last week (on the 11th), Putin had stated to the media that he proposed that Russia and Ukraine restart direct negotiations unconditionally in Istanbul on the 15th, and mentioned that during the negotiations, agreements on some new ceasefire proposals might be reached. On the same day, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy responded on social media, stating that Ukraine expects a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire starting on the 12th, which will provide the necessary foundation for diplomatic activities.
Zelenskyy believed that if the technical talks held in Istanbul between the negotiation representatives of Ukraine and Russia could reach an agreement, a ceasefire could be achieved. Ukraine's goal was to "at least try to take the first step towards easing tensions, taking the first step to end the war, i.e., a ceasefire."
He has repeatedly called on various parties to pressure Putin to personally attend the talks in Istanbul, but Putin confirmed on the 14th that he would not attend the talks.
The Russian delegation team participating in the talks will include Presidential Assistant Melnikov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Galuzin, Director of the General Department of the Armed Forces General Staff Kosyukov, Deputy Minister of Defense Fomin, and four expert members from different departments. Reuters pointed out that the level of the Russian delegation was considered a "second-tier" team, and even lower than the U.S. delegation, which did not directly participate in the negotiations.
Seeing this, Zelenskyy, who had arrived first in Turkey, did not wait for Putin. He said at a press conference held at the Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey on the 15th that he himself would not attend the Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul. At the airport in Turkey, he criticized the composition of the Russian delegation as "decorative" and questioned whether the delegation could "make decisions autonomously." Now, he has ended his visit to Turkey and traveled to the capital of Albania.
Trump previously stated that he was open to attending the talks via Turkey, but after Putin clearly indicated that he would not attend the talks, Trump also decided not to attend.
The originally planned negotiations between Russia and Ukraine scheduled for the 15th were postponed to the 16th due to the Ukrainian delegation not showing up. Russian Presidential Assistant and Head of the Russian Delegation Melnikov said that the Russian delegation would "await the Ukrainian delegation" starting at 10:00 AM local time on the 16th. He believed that "Ukraine should come to participate in the talks."
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