Putin, Trump will not participate in direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Türkiye
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian rival Vladimir Putin will not participate in Moscow and Kyiv’s first direct peace talks in three years on Thursday.
Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Turkey on Sunday, “no prerequisites” even though he no longer said he would participate.
The Kremlin said late Wednesday that the delegation will include presidential adviser Vladimir Medesky and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fuming.
A U.S. official later said Trump would not attend – he was considering the trip a few days later.
The absence of Russian and U.S. presidents has lowered expectations for a major breakthrough in the war that began in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged Putin to the talks in an obvious competition to show Trump that he hopes for more peace.
Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that Zelenskyy was heading to Türkiye. Zelenskyy had earlier said he would only participate in the negotiations if Putin was there.
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes told CNN that if Putin wasn't there, he had no reason for Trump to be in Turkey.
“I think everyone knows Putin is not interested in real peace talks,” said Hims, Democrat of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee.
Democrats say the “real question” is how Trump should adjust the U.S. stance on Russia.
Trump hopes the two sides sign a 30-day ceasefire to suspend Europe's largest land war since World War II, and Russian lawmakers said Wednesday that there may also be discussions about huge prisoners of war exchanges.
Zelenskyy immediately withdrew from the 30-day ceasefire, but Putin said he wanted to start negotiations first and could discuss the details of such ceasefire.
More threats to sanctions
Trump is increasingly frustrated with Russia and Ukraine as he tries to push them toward a peaceful solution, saying if he thinks it is a secondary sanction on Moscow, if he thinks it is a hindrance to the process.
U.S. officials talked about possible financial and secondary sanctions against Russian oil buyers. Western European leaders also threatened Russia to impose further sanctions if Ukraine ceases fighting without progress.
Domitilla Sagramoso, a Russian diplomatic and security policy expert, said there are questions about how long Moscow can maintain the war and there are some signs that it has caused some signs from already effective sanctions.
“Any additional pressure is problematic for the Kremlin, which explains why in all negotiations, Russia is trying to lift sanctions,” Sagramoso, senior lecturer in security and development at King's College London, told Germany Weiler.
But the sanctions have not yet ended the war.
“Russia's dream of collapse tomorrow, because the sanctions have not yet happened and will not happen soon,” said Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at the New York School.
Ukrainian leadership will decide on the next step in peace talks in Türkiye once Putin's participation is clear, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday.
Before returning to the Oval Office, Trump repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in 24 hours. The war continued for three months as the new president, and the war continued.
The recent three-year war has seen the use of war es and tanks, and the widespread use of drones on both sides.
The United Nations said at least 12,700 civilians have been killed and more than 30,000 others have been injured since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbors.
