Putin, Trump to skip peace talks with Ukraine that Russian leader proposed

WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL – US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will not attend what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years on May 15, the Kremlin sending instead a group of experienced technocrats.

Mr Putin on May 11 proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 “without any preconditions”. Late on May 14, the Kremlin said the delegation would include presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin.

After the Kremlin’s delegation announcement, a US official said Mr Trump would not attend – days after saying that he was considering the trip.

While Mr Putin had never confirmed he would attend in person, the absence of the Russian and US presidents lowers the expectations for a major breakthrough in the war that Russia started in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had challenged the Kremlin leader to attend the talks “if he’s not afraid”, in an apparent contest to show Mr Trump who wants peace more. Mr Zelensky was on his way to Turkey, a Ukrainian official said. Earlier, the Ukrainian leader had said he would take part in the negotiations only if Mr Putin were there.

Mr Trump wants the two sides to sign up to a 30-day ceasefire to pause Europe’s biggest land war since World War II, and a Russian lawmaker said on May 14 there could also be discussions about a huge prisoner of war exchange.

Mr Zelensky backs an immediate 30-day ceasefire, but Mr Putin has said he first wants to start talks at which the details of such a ceasefire could be discussed.

More sanctions on Russia?

Mr Trump, who is growing increasingly frustrated with both Russia and Ukraine as he tries to push them towards a peace settlement, said he was “always considering” secondary sanctions against Moscow if he thought it was blocking the process.

US officials have spoken about possible financial sanctions as well as potential secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil.

A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on May 14 that Ukraine’s leadership would decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there was clarity on Mr Putin’s participation.

The US delegation to Turkey included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said early on May 15 he had met Mr Rubio to share Mr Zelensky’s peace vision and “coordinate positions during this critical week”.

Mr Medinsky and Mr Fomin, part of the Russian delegation, took part in the last set of negotiations between the two sides in the first weeks of the war.

Direct talks between negotiators from Ukraine and Russia last took place in Istanbul in March 2022, a month after Mr Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in what he calls a “special military operation” to root out neo-Nazis.

Ukraine and its allies say the invasion was an unprovoked, imperial-style land grab. REUTERS