The much-anticipated peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, scheduled to take place in Istanbul, have encountered significant obstacles due to the absence of key leaders. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who initially proposed the negotiations, has opted not to attend, sending a lower-level delegation instead. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized this move, labeling the Russian delegation as merely “decorative” and expressing skepticism about the talks’ potential effectiveness without Putin’s direct involvement .

Adding to the uncertainty, U.S. President Donald Trump has also decided not to participate in the discussions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that meaningful progress is unlikely without direct engagement between Trump and Putin, stating that the talks are at a “logjam” and a breakthrough would require both leaders’ involvement .

The Kremlin has confirmed that Putin has no current plans to attend the Istanbul talks, citing the need to assess the situation based on the Ukrainian delegation’s participation and the talks’ progression . Meanwhile, Zelenskiy has indicated that a meeting with Putin may not be necessary if technical negotiations can achieve a ceasefire agreement. However, he also noted Russia’s lack of genuine interest in ending the conflict and called for increased international pressure, including additional sanctions, to compel meaningful engagement .

The absence of both Putin and Trump has cast doubt on the efficacy of the Istanbul talks, which were anticipated as the first direct peace negotiations in over three years. European leaders have criticized Putin’s non-attendance, interpreting it as a lack of genuine intent to negotiate peace . The situation underscores the fragile state of diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Source: Reuters