A bunch of Russian folks showed up in Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine, as per Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. Meanwhile, on the other side, a Ukrainian crew led by President Volodymyr Zelensky and some other big shots landed in Ankara, Turkey.
The head honcho, Vladimir Putin, wasn’t part of the Moscow team, as revealed by the Kremlin the night before, causing a stir among Western officials who think the Kremlin isn’t really serious about this whole peace thing. Instead of Putin, the Russian team will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, Putin’s buddy, along with three other top dogs. Putin also threw in four lower-level officials as “experts” for the talks.
Zelensky, not one to shy away from a challenge, called out Putin to meet up in Turkey and chat about putting an end to this more than three-year-long war. He’s headed to Ankara to meet up with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and wait around for Putin to show up. In the Ukrainian gang, you’ve got Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and the head honcho of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak. They’re keeping things on the down-low for security reasons until they touch down in Ankara.
### The Showdown in Istanbul
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, is feeling optimistic about a potential breakthrough after three years of intense suffering, deeming it a “window of opportunity.” Zelensky’s team is all set to sit down with Putin, according to Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak. But the details of when and where this showdown will happen are still up in the air, although it’s expected to become clearer after Zelensky and Erdogan powwow. Tass is saying the talks are set to happen at a presidential office on the Bosporus.
Putin decided to skip out on the ceasefire that Kyiv and its European pals were pushing for, opting instead for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin is painting Thursday’s talks as a chance to hit the reset button on peace negotiations that kicked off back in 2022 but fizzled out. Both sides are pointing fingers, with Moscow blaming Ukraine and the West for wanting to keep the fighting going, while Kyiv is calling Russia’s demands more of an ultimatum than something they can both agree on. And surprise, surprise, back in 2022, Russia also sent Vladimir Medinsky to lead their delegation.
### NATO Ministers Weigh In
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had a late-night chat with US State Secretary Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham in Antalya. The NATO foreign ministers are in town to discuss new defense investment goals as the US shifts its focus to security challenges elsewhere. Sybiha’s giving Ukraine’s full backing to Trump’s mediation efforts and thanking the US for sticking around, urging Moscow to play nice. So far, no dice from the Russian side, though.
The Finnish Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen, is fed up with Russia’s lack of seriousness, pointing out the empty chair at the table where Putin should be sitting. It seems like Putin’s dragging his feet and not really feeling the whole peace negotiation thing. Not sure if he got the memo, but everyone else seems to be on board except for him.
