The highly anticipated Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul have been thrown into disarray following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to abstain from attending, prompting former U.S. President Donald Trump to also withdraw his participation.
Initially proposed by Putin himself, the summit aimed to bring together key stakeholders to negotiate an end to the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had agreed to attend, contingent upon Putin’s presence. However, the Kremlin later announced that Putin would not participate, instead dispatching a delegation led by aide Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
In response to Putin’s absence, Trump, who had expressed interest in mediating the talks, stated, “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” indicating that meaningful progress was unlikely without direct engagement between the two leaders. Consequently, Trump canceled his plans to attend the summit.
Zelenskyy criticized the Russian delegation as “decorative,” emphasizing the need for negotiations with decision makers. Despite the setbacks, Ukraine proceeded with the talks, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and engaged in discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The absence of both Putin and Trump has cast significant doubt on the efficacy of the Istanbul summit. While the talks proceed at a lower diplomatic level, the prospects for a substantial breakthrough remain uncertain.
