ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkey is hosting the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years on Thursday, amid the notable absence of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Noting that the meeting comes per “Putin’s initiative,” the state-run Russian news agency TASS on Thursday reported that the Kremlin has dispatched a delegation comprising presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, and head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Igor Kostyukov. TASS added that Moscow will additionally dispatch “a team of experts to Istanbul” including high-ranking Russian officials specializing in military strategy, international cooperation, humanitarian policy, and regional affairs. The state-run Russian news agency further noted that the talks will be closed to the media and will take place at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul. While US President Trump is not expected to attend the key talks, an American delegation is expected in Turkey, comprising US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. On the Ukrainian side, the state-run Ukrainian National News Agency, Ukrinform, reported on Thursday that “the President of Ukraine [Volodymyr Zelensky] is set to visit Türkiye today [Thursday] to discuss peace initiatives and possible ways to end the war.” Adding that the Ukrainian president’s visit will include bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a joint press conference after,” Ukrinform quoted Zelensky as stating that “Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations, and we are not afraid of meetings tomorrow – in Türkiye.” On Sunday, Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul “without any preconditions,” however he never confirmed he would attend in person. Meanwhile, in a move seemingly geared to demonstrate to Washington his country’s commitment to peace, Zelensky challenged Putin to attend the talks “unless he is afraid.” For Turkey, hosting these renewed talks bolsters its role as a key facilitator of diplomatic efforts in the ongoing conflict that began in February 2022. Ankara previously hosted high-level negotiations between both sides in March 2022, which resulted in a draft peace agreement. However, Ukraine later withdrew from the process. Though the absence of the American and Russian presidents from the talks on Thursday lowers expectations for a breakthrough, the US president is hoping that the two sides will agree to a 30-day truce. While Zelensky has expressed his support for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, Putin has demonstrated a more cautious approach stating that Moscow wants to discuss the details of such a ceasefire first. The conflict has had devastating humanitarian consequences. Since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, over 12,000 civilians have been killed, according to UN data. Additionally, approximately 3.7 million Ukrainians are internally displaced, and around 6.1 million have sought refuge in Europe and beyond. This round of negotiations is viewed as one of the most significant diplomatic efforts since the war began. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday renewed his call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. “We think a ceasefire must be something to pave the way for a solution, and for us, the solution is a just peace,” Guterres said, adding that “a just peace for us means peace that respects the UN Charter, international law, and the resolutions of the UN General Assembly, including the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
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