The much-anticipated "Turkey Talks" faced an awkward situation this week, as the direct dialogue originally scheduled between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine did not take place. The three main leaders—Russian President Putin, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and U.S. President Trump—did not attend the talks, leading to much fanfare but little progress in this round of hoped-for peace efforts.
Leaders' Collective "Absence" Leads to Postponement
Previously, Putin proposed to restart unconditional dialogue between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey on May 15. Zelensky also quickly expressed he would "wait for Putin in Turkey," and Trump even claimed he would "detour" to Istanbul during his Middle East visit to participate. However, none of the three appeared in the end, and the Ukrainian delegation did not arrive as scheduled, forcing the talks to be postponed to the 16th.
Russia's representative, Presidential Assistant and head of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiating delegation Medinsky, stated in Istanbul that the Russian side would await the Ukrainian side for talks at 10 a.m. on the 16th and expressed belief that the Ukrainians would eventually attend.
This meeting was seen as the first face-to-face negotiation attempt between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022, hence attracting attention from all sides. European leaders previously called on Russia to implement a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting Monday, but there has been no substantial response.
Trump: If I Don’t Go, He Won’t Either
Trump was not surprised by Putin's absence and hinted during a media interview: "If I don’t go, why would he go?” He plainly stated that his schedule in the Middle East is fully packed, making a trip to Istanbul unlikely, but did not rule out the possibility of "heading there on Friday if something happens."
More critically, both Trump and his diplomatic top brass emphasized that a face-to-face meeting between him and Putin might be the only way to break the current deadlock in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio publicly stated on Thursday that the "only path" to ending the war in Ukraine is a meeting between Trump and Putin.
Rubio also disclosed that he personally would meet separately with the senior Ukrainian delegation in Turkey, but his expectations for direct Russo-Ukrainian negotiations were not optimistic. He reiterated that Trump is determined to end the war and remains open to dialogue with Putin.
Private Contacts Initiated, Meeting Still Unscheduled
Though there is currently no formal schedule for a Trump-Putin meeting, sources reveal that the two have communicated by phone in recent weeks, leaving room for a potential future summit.
From Trump's and Rubio's statements, it seems the U.S. side now views a "Trump-Putin meeting" as a diplomatic breakthrough point, and the failure of the Turkey talks might accelerate this direction.
