By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISTANBUL/MOSCOW (Worthy News) – The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t attend Thursday peace talks in Istanbul despite calls from Ukraine and the United States to participate.
Putin’s decision not to travel to Turkey for peace talks on the war in Ukraine came as a setback for U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who had hoped to broker a peace deal to end Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
Instead Russia’s delegation at Thursday’s talks in Istanbul will be headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinksy, according to a Kremlin statement.
Moments later, a source familiar with his thinking confirmed that U.S. President Trump decided not to go to Turkey for talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war after it became clear that Putin would stay away.
On Sunday, Putin proposed holding direct negotiations with Ukraine on Thursday “without any preconditions.”
The U.S. president had toyed with the idea of going to Turkey if Putin would be there. Trump
He expressed shock about the many young people killed in the battlefields, often in trenches resembling World War I.
MEETING PUTIN
Zelenskyy had previously said he would attend the talks and meet Putin in person if the Russian president agreed.
He added he would “do everything” to ensure the face-to-face meeting occurred.
However, sources said the Ukrainian president will still meet Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Thursday in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Putin and Zelensky have not met in person since December 2019.
Russia and Ukraine last held direct negotiations in March 2022 in Istanbul, shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
More than 1 million people are believed to have been killed and injured in the armed conflict.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t attend Thursday peace talks in Istanbul despite calls from Ukraine and the United States to participate.
President Donald Trump defended his decision to skip a stop in Israel during his ongoing Middle East visit, asserting that his efforts in the region are ultimately beneficial to the Jewish state, despite speculation that Israel is being sidelined.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Wednesday that it intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen, as Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack.
The White House announced on Wednesday that it has secured economic commitments worth at least $1.2 trillion from Qatar, including a historic commercial aviation deal for Boeing jetliners and GE Aerospace engines.
President Donald Trump’s decision to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria has triggered nationwide celebrations in the war-torn country and reverberated through diplomatic circles across the Middle East.
The tourist industry on Indonesia’s island has been plunged into mourning after authorities confirmed at least eight domestic tourists were killed and 34 others injured after a wooden vessel sank in Indonesia’s Bengkulu province. Previous estimates spoke of seven killed.
Iranian and European officials are set to meet in Istanbul on May 16 to revive discussions on the stalled 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed.