Istanbul, May 16 – Russia and Ukraine have agreed to hold their first direct talks in over three years, but the move was overshadowed by confusion and chaotic scenes in Istanbul, underscoring the deep mistrust and complexity surrounding the conflict.
The anticipated meeting, initially proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin five days ago, began with uncertainty. As international media gathered outside Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace on Thursday morning, Ukraine had yet to confirm its participation or name its delegation. Turkish diplomatic sources said no formal meeting was scheduled.
Instead, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Ankara for talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. By late afternoon, Zelensky announced Ukraine would send a delegation to Istanbul, led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. The decision, he said, was made “out of respect for President Trump.”
Putin had proposed the talks in response to an ultimatum from Kyiv and its Western allies to agree to a 30-day ceasefire or face fresh sanctions. In a Sunday briefing, Putin said Russia was willing to resume negotiations cut off in 2022, naming Istanbul as the venue and reappointing former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as lead negotiator.
“The delegation is committed to a constructive approach,” Medinsky said in a brief statement at the Russian consulate, declining to take questions amid a frenzied media scrum that forced officials to threaten cancellation of the event. Medinsky said the goal was to establish “long-term peace” and address the “root causes” of the war – language analysts say reflects Moscow’s objections to Ukraine’s NATO aspirations and sovereignty.
The potential presence of former U.S. President Donald Trump loomed large over the diplomatic maneuvering. Trump said he might attend the talks “if something happened,” while his envoys Keith Kellogg and Steve Witkoff are expected in Istanbul on Friday.
Zelensky’s remarks made clear Trump played a key role in Ukraine’s decision to participate. Meanwhile, Moscow is also closely watching the former U.S. president, hopeful for a future thaw in relations. “Nothing’s gonna happen until Putin and I get together,” Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev, who resigned over the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said Putin is uninterested in engaging Zelensky directly. “Two great powers should sit together and discuss how inferior countries should live under their umbrella,” he told CNN. “That’s how he sees the world. That’s why Zelensky doesn’t fit.”
Despite the announcement of talks, analysts say a breakthrough remains distant, with both sides clinging to incompatible objectives and mutual distrust.
