Trump and Putin Pull Out of Istanbul Peace Talks Amid Ukraine’s Demand for Putin’s Presence

Hopes for the first direct peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in three years dimmed on Thursday after both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed they would not attend the Istanbul summit.

The Kremlin instead dispatched a delegation led by presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed the American side. Trump, on a Middle East tour, said he had considered attending but ultimately opted out, expressing frustration over both sides’ unwillingness to compromise.

Putin had proposed the talks last weekend “without preconditions,” but stopped short of confirming personal attendance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, en route to Turkey, said he would participate only if Putin did.

In his Wednesday address, Zelenskiy emphasized that all answers to the war’s origin lie in Moscow and reiterated his support for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, echoing Trump’s proposal. However, Putin wants the ceasefire terms negotiated first.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has warned of further sanctions on Russia if it hinders the peace process. Discussions of a large prisoner exchange may also surface during the talks.

These negotiations follow a failed peace deal in 2022 that proposed Ukrainian neutrality in return for international security guarantees — a condition Kyiv now firmly rejects.