MWE Correspondent
Russian President Vladimir Putin has opted not to attend upcoming peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul, Turkey, signaling continued tension in diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.
Instead, the Kremlin announced that a Russian delegation will represent Moscow at the summit. The team will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a former Culture Minister and Putin’s long-time aide, alongside Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
The peace summit, set for this weekend, will be hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the historic Çankaya Mansion in Ankara. The meeting is seen as a renewed attempt to find common ground in a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since it began in February 2022.
President Zelenskyy, who arrived in Turkey on Wednesday, has long insisted on direct talks with Putin, saying meaningful decisions can only be made at the highest level. “Real peace must be signed by those who started the war,” he has often stated.
Turkey has played a key mediating role in the conflict before, most notably helping broker the now-defunct Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed Ukraine to export grain despite the naval blockade.
Putin’s absence has drawn mixed reactions. While Moscow says the delegation has full authority, Western analysts and diplomats suggest it may reflect hesitation on Russia’s part to engage seriously.
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“Peace negotiations without heads of state often lack the teeth required to make real progress,” noted a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Surprisingly, U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously hinted he might attend if Putin did, has withdrawn as well. Instead, the U.S. will be represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was appointed following Trump’s recent GOP nomination win.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president and a vocal advocate for multipolar diplomacy, urged both Russia and Ukraine to show flexibility and prioritize civilian lives over geopolitics. “Let the summit be a platform for real action, not posturing,” Lula said during a press briefing in Brasília.
The upcoming summit comes amid increasing battlefield fatigue on both sides and growing international pressure for a negotiated settlement. With both economies strained and rising civilian tolls, the world watches closely.
