Putin refuses to participate in Ukraine-Russia talks
Putin refuses to participate in Ukraine-Russia talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not part of the Russian delegation to attend peace talks in Turkey on May 15, 2025.
The Kremlin announced late Wednesday that Putin was not on the list of those who would represent Russia at the talks in Istanbul.
Russia is represented by an eight-member delegation, including a former culture minister, and four experts who are assisting the team.
On May 11, Putin announced that his country was willing to meet with Ukraine for direct talks, and that he would like them to take place in Turkey.
Although Putin indicated that Russia would participate in the talks, he did not say whether he would attend, only that Ukraine and Western countries had demanded that he personally attend.
On the United States side, a government official confirmed that President Donald Trump would not attend the talks either, because after learning that Putin would not be there, he decided to skip them.
On May 12, Trump told reporters that he would attend the talks in Turkey if he felt it would be helpful.
